1,000 Paper Cranes
by Toasted Marshmallow
Summary: They say if you make 1,000 paper cranes, you'll get your wish... but what if the wish is impossible? InuKai.
1. Introduction: Hopeless Dream

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. Don't sue! XD

**Author's Notes: **I never thought I'd write an InuKai fic, much less a long one or one which I thought had any merit. Since I've been watching Prince of Tennis, I've kind of struggled with the whole concept of InuKai. I could always see where people got it, but I wasn't exactly eager to dwell on it. I blame my own prejudice. I'm more a fan of "pretty people looking pretty together" sort of writing, and that's the kind of writing I've always done in the past (GP forever! XD). And let's be honest, one can easily find both Inui and Kaidoh a little… well, creepy. So, originally, I took up this fanfic as a sort of challenge. I wanted to see if I could make them really work. And the more I write it, the more I'm sort of falling in love with them both. O.o It's maybe a little disturbing. But now I'm really glad I'm writing this.

I also originally intended for this to be a one-shot. I don't know how in the heck I thought I could ever make it a one-shot. But it's going to be a multi-chapter thing. I'm not even exactly sure how long it will be. I guess we'll find out.

I wrote this in third-person, but keep in mind that it's basically from Inui's perspective. I decided early on that I was going to avoid delving into Kaidoh's psyche, simply because I like it better this way. It keeps the reader right where Inui is: guessing. But maybe I'll write another fic sometime from Kaidoh's perspective. Because that would be fun too.

Please, PLEASE review! I'd really like feedback from you guys… What do you think? Feel free to tell me if you think it's bad; just be nice. cries I'm very sensitive.

Enjoy!

* * *

_They say if you make 1,000 paper cranes…_

…_your wish will come true…_

…

Inui Sadaharu sat at his desk, trying to focus on the task at hand.

_1.3 percent finished._

Five more minutes of folding.

_1.4 percent finished._

_This could take a while._

The four-eyed seventh grader leaned back against his chair. Folding paper cranes wasn't going to make him any less nervous about the coming day. It was getting late, and he just couldn't sleep. He was too excited for tomorrow…

Tomorrow.

The day of the inter-school tournament. On this unprecedented occasion, the first-years were going to be allowed to play. The rumors were that Tezuka Kunimitsu had something to do with the strange exception to school tradition. Granted, the seventh graders were only matched with seventh graders in the first round, and were placed in such a way that it would be nearly impossible to advance very far at all. But it was a _chance._

Inui didn't expect much from this tournament. He didn't expect to become a regular member, or even advance to the third round. It would completely defy his data, since his training was nowhere near completion. There was still so much that needed refining… No, this was only a chance to show the other first-years what he had done so far. Intimidation was part of the plan.

What was this plan?

Well, for the relatively short-term, it was to become a regular at Seigaku by the end of his second year. But ultimately…

It was to be the best in the world.

That was his wish. And that was why he decided, tonight, to make a thousand paper cranes.

_The notion that one would get a wish by magic, _Inui thought, _is stupid. The rationale for the myth, however, is logical. Anyone who would have the dedication and the patience to make a thousand of these paper birds would invariably have the dedication to make their own wish come true by way of hard effort._

_Take for example, a sick person. If they wanted so badly to get well that they folded a paper crane 1,000 times, it would show the strength of their will to live. Therefore, their odds of survival would increase greatly._

_1.5 percent finished._

Inui grabbed another square of paper, knowing he'd be doing this all night.

_I will have that dedication. I will show that I'm willing to work to be the best. And by folding these cranes, I'm going to prove to myself that I have the patience to do what it takes._

And so he did, from that night forward. With the rigorous training schedule he quickly developed, Inui hardly had time to fold any paper cranes. The process went very slowly. Sometimes it would take him a month to find time for just five cranes… but he pressed on. He promised himself that he wouldn't stop until he'd made 1,000.

There were many times, though, when he'd wanted to give up his dream. No, he'd never admit it to anyone, but over and over again he saw that there were hurdles he couldn't seem to pass. Every person's body had its limits. And he was getting very frustrated with his own.

Because of this, his dream faltered. It began to shrink. By the end of his first year, he'd decided to shoot for being the best in Japan, as opposed to the entire world. By the middle of his second year, he just wanted to be the best in the Kanto region, for his age. But even there, the goal was unattainable.

By the end of his second year, he just wanted to be the best in his school.

With Tezuka around, this was going to be a problem in and of itself. Inui suspected that any hurdles beyond beating his fellow bespectacled classmate would seem easy. But for now, he felt he had reached an impasse.

One night he came home and began folding another crane. In the middle of his precise movements, though, he stopped.

Hopeless.

That's what it seemed. Simply hopeless. According to his data, he wouldn't be reaching his goal anytime soon. And the hurdle always seemed to get higher.

_They say if you make 1,000 paper cranes…_

Inui crumpled his half-folded foil square.

_What if the wish is impossible?_

He removed his glasses and massaged his eyelids. Upon replacing his spectacles, he glanced at his clock.

_Might as well get some sleep._

He tossed the crumpled paper to the floor. It glittered slightly gold in a strip of moonlight coming from the window.


	2. Black Crane

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. Yes, we all weep for me. 

**Author's Notes: **Last chapter I'm posting today. Hope you like! I'll give a cyber cookie to anyone who can figure out what all the colored cranes mean.(Sorry, dear sister, you're disqualified. Nya.)

Speaking of which, huge kudos and thanks to my sister for editing this and encouraging me always. hugs I love my editor. (Shameless plug: Everyone, go read her fanfic! It is 100x better than any of mine and it's epic! It's called "When I Come Back to You" by FallingSilver. Go read. Now!)

I actually have cranes in all the colors I listed sitting on my shelf. I love making cranes. I don't think I could ever make 1000, though, but I've been tempted to try. In my lifetime, I'm pretty sure I've made less than 200. Right now though, I have paper cranes all over my desk. I make some every time I get stuck while I'm writing this fic. XD

Anyways... Enjoy!

* * *

For his entire junior high career, Inui still decided to train towards his goal. Even if he couldn't be the best at Seigaku, he could at least be the best _he_ could be.

Towards the end of his second year, when most of his data on the second- and third-years seemed stagnant and unimportant, Inui began taking notes on the freshmen. There were a lot of them, but only a few seemed to be of any interest. Two, in particular.

Momoshiro Takeshi was certainly passionate about his game. But that seemed to be _all_ he was. As far as Inui could tell, Momo took part in no training beyond a few mile-long runs on rare mornings, and maybe some light weight-lifting at home. This was fine, since his body was in its most fragile development stages. But Momo played the game mostly for fun. And he was lucky enough to be gifted with great jumping ability and the smarts to analyze his opponent somewhat.

The dedication wasn't quite there.

But the other boy…

Kaidoh Kaoru.

"The Frightening Freshman," as his fellow second-years called him, baffled Inui to no end. As far as he could tell, Kaidoh was up every morning before the crack of dawn running several miles every day. And after school? Sometimes he ran distances equal to a marathon. This was, of course, after he'd stayed late at practice picking up balls or practicing his swing. In addition to that, Inui calculated Kaidoh's muscle growth and concluded that he did at least a half-hour of weight lifting every day at home.

Sure, the kid wasn't that smart about his training. He was undoubtedly doing some measure of damage on his developing body. Really, boys shouldn't lift weights until they're a good ways through puberty. And Kaidoh was probably losing sleep to make room for his running schedule, or else there was simply no time to fit everything in. There was no way that such a schedule could be healthy.

But Inui felt strangely drawn to this person.

What was it about Kaidoh that sparked Inui's interest? Why couldn't he keep his eyes off the freshman? It wasn't his impressive spin shots, quite… It wasn't his unusual appearance or quirky habits…

So what was it?

Inui found the answer one day while watching Kaidoh play a mock match against Momoshiro towards the end of that year. It was a heated contest. The rivals were evenly matched in skill (at a level impressive for freshmen), and neither side relented. As usual for these two, various insults and challenges were shouted across the court. Inui hardly paid attention, but continued taking notes on the players' shots.

"Give up Viper! You can't beat me!" Momo hit the ball towards the corner.

"I won't lose to the likes of you!" Kaidoh just barely lobbed it back.

"Stupid Viper! I'm going to be the best in Japan." Momo rushed up to the net, jumped, and hit a smash.

"But I'm going to be the best in the WORLD!" Kaidoh dove for the ball and made an impressive passing shot, silencing his loquacious opponent.

Inui nearly dropped his pencil.

Recovering from his bewilderment, Momoshiro threw down his racket and yelled, "LUCK! Dumb luck. Stupid Viper, you play dirty!"

Momo's ramblings faded to insignificance in Inui's mind. He stared as Kaidoh slowly got up and brushed the dirt off of his gym clothes and legs.

So _that _was it.

Inui couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. It was so _obvious, _so easy to explain.

Kaidoh Kaoru was exactly like _him._

In Kaidoh, Inui saw every bit of passion for being the best that he himself had lost, if not more. Kaidoh _would _be the best someday, if he had anything to do with it. He was going to take every risk, conquer every obstacle, and do everything in his power to be great. He was going to surpass his own limits, if he had to.

And Inui wanted that.

He wished that he could talk to Kaidoh and tell him all of this. But that was impossible. Maybe though, someday soon, he could help him. He could teach Kaidoh exactly what he needed to do to be the best.

But that would, once again, require talking to Kaidoh. And right now, that just wasn't possible.

The opportunity came much later, in spring of the next year in fact. And it was one of those horrible situations where something good comes out of something bad. Inui experienced the hardest and most humiliating defeat of his life, in his match against the new freshman, Echizen Ryoma. It turned out, as Inui knew from the match itself, that this new addition to the regulars was practically unbeatable. But no one assumed that right away when they heard that Inui lost. They just thought that the match proved that "data tennis" wasn't a good strategy, after all.

No one knew it, but Inui was on the verge of quitting the team. Which was why he was a bit perplexed when Tezuka called him into the coach's office. Did Tezuka and Ryuzaki-sensei already know that he was thinking about leaving the club? Were they going to try to talk him out of it?

Inui walked in the door and stood stiffly in front of the two people in charge of the tennis club. Ryuzaki smilingly told him to sit down.

"Tezuka-kun has made an interesting proposal."

Inui pushed his glasses higher onto his nose, trying to mirror the stoic image on the tennis captain's face. "Proposal?" he repeated.

To his surprise, it was Tezuka, who rarely spoke at all, that launched into the explanation. "I understand that you've suffered a hard defeat this year. To put so much work into something, only to have it taken away by someone who seems like he's barely trying, it's… well, I can't imagine how disappointing that would be." Tezuka pushed up his glasses, crossed his arms, and leaned against the desk. "We were all surprised to discover that you had been eliminated." Here, the coach cleared her throat and looked meaningfully at Tezuka. "Well, _most_ of us were surprised," he added reluctantly.

It was at this point Inui realized that this had very possibly been a set-up. Tezuka had placed Ryoma in that bracket _expecting _him to win, which would mean that he had _chosen_ the person who was to lose. Had Tezuka chosen _him_ to be the guinea pig, the unfortunate sacrifice that had to be made?

Inui stirred in his chair and was about to say something (he wasn't sure what), when Tezuka continued, "Your contribution to our team is practically indispensable. It would be a sorry thing to lose you and your skills completely."

Inui wondered once again if Tezuka knew what he was thinking. He started trying to mentally develop a few excuses for quitting, but that was quickly cut short by what the captain said next.

"Instead, I have decided to name you as team manager. Provided that you'll accept, of course."

Inui couldn't believe his ears. Manager? Is that what he said? That would be wonderful! As manager, he could help everyone develop their skills properly. He did some quick calculations in his head. In three months, by exponentially increasing the endurance and technical training, he could make the team ready for—

Here, Inui realized that his mouth was hanging slightly open. He closed it, cleared his mind and throat, and said solemnly, "Of course I accept. I'll get working on a training menu right away."

Ryuzaki-sensei smiled and nodded. "In that case, you're excused from practice."

Inui stood and bowed, saying quickly before he left, "I won't disappoint you." And he walked out with a great measure of poise. But inside, he felt like a little boy on Christmas morning.

Once he was at home, he immediately set to work. He developed a logical requirement for running laps, and determined how much running the team would do each day for the next two months. He made up a few exercises to improve shot accuracy and reaction time. After all of his work, he leaned back into his chair.

"Let's see… what else."

While he was thinking, he picked up a black square of paper from the pile on the corner of his desk, and began folding. Why he did this, he wasn't certain. He hadn't folded a crane in a long time. He felt, in a way, that his wish, his reason for folding the cranes, had died. But it wasn't such a horrible thing after all. Yes, _this_ was what he wanted to be doing, at least for now. Managing. Training.

Helping.

Perhaps the folding was just a habit.

He looked at the finished product, fingering it lightly. Then he set it aside and made a tally mark on a two-year-old piece of paper.

_79.3 percent finished._

Before throwing it into the usual box, he stared at it a little longer, then picked it up by the tail.

_This might be one of my best, _he mused. _Clean lines, crisp folds, and none of the underside showing through._

He held it up to the light.

_I never would have guessed that a black crane would look so nice._

Completely forgetting his assigned task, Inui grabbed a gold, foil square and began folding. The crane came out somewhat messy. Inui tried again in silver. Even worse. He made two tallies and threw them into the box with disgust.

He folded cranes in a few more different colors. The blue one came out better than the gold and silver, but still looked a little sloppy. He didn't care for the red one, either, though it was an improvement. The white, purple, and green cranes were okay, but still not perfect.

Inui slipped his hand in the middle of the paper pile and pulled out another black square. He folded this one with sure hands. And like the last one of that color, it turned out perfectly. After admiring it, he made a few more tallies.

_80.1 percent finished. Into the box you all go._

He looked back at his computer screen, remembering his duties as the new manager. He had some things to prepare. After checking his watch and deciding that the store would still be open, he grabbed some of his allowance and left the house to pick up a few things.

…

Inui had a successful first day as manager. He'd begun the training as planned, and the team did well with it, as expected. And now every last one of them feared his specially-concocted juice that he'd prepared the night before. Yes, Inui's term as manager was going to be very productive.

Among the bustle in the locker room, Inui looked with some regret at his folded jersey. He'd lost the right to wear it, but he was forced to keep it, and see it every day. Obviously no one else could wear a jersey with Inui's name on it. It would be too big for anyone else, in any case. Treating the garment with due reverence, Inui tucked it into his tennis bag. Then he finished packing his training devices.

By the time Inui was done and ready to leave, there were only two people left in the locker room: Echizen and Kaidoh, and the freshman was on his way out. Inui noticed that Kaidoh watched him leave. And then, with a soft hiss, the second-year zipped up his bag and headed towards the door.

It was obvious that Kaidoh wasn't too fond of Echizen, after he'd been beaten by him. Inui felt once again that he could relate completely. It seemed even ironic to Inui that he and Kaidoh were the only two regulars to have played Echizen in the tournament, and they had both lost. Surely, Kaidoh could understand how Inui felt about losing… Inui knew, at least, that he could understand Kaidoh. They'd both put so much effort into their training, only to lose, as Tezuka said…

On an impulse, Inui quickly grabbed his notebook and went after Kaidoh.

He didn't have to go very far. Kaidoh had stopped in front of the tennis courts briefly to look, maybe reflect. Kaidoh had a habit of giving himself a mental beating after every loss… Inui heard himself say his name. Kaidoh turned around.

"What?"

Conveniently, Inui realized _now _that he hadn't planned what he would say. He clutched his notebook a little more tightly and thought fast.

"Are you upset… that you lost?"

Kaidoh didn't say anything for a moment, but at least he didn't get angry. He turned back to the court and replied simply, "If a little kid is going to make me lose my stamina so fast, I'll just have to train harder." He started to walk away.

"You want to acquire endurance that's unbeatable?"

Kaidoh stopped dead in his tracks and waited for his senpai to continue.

"Hmm." Inui flipped to a certain page in his notebook. "Want to try this program?"

He held it up for Kaidoh to see. The second-year turned around and quickly looked it over. Then he looked his senpai straight in the eye and said, "I'll do twice that."

Inui stood still for a moment, not certain what to say to that. So instead, he wrote the new training program out on an empty page in his notebook, ripped it out, and gave it to Kaidoh. Then, heading back to the locker room, he said nonchalantly, "See you tomorrow at practice."

Once back in the safety of the clubhouse, Inui leaned against the door and pushed up his glasses. Kaidoh had not even asked why Inui had had a program all ready for him.


	3. Boomerangs

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. Santa has stopped answering my phone calls and emails, too, so it's not looking like I'll own them any time soon.

Also... I realized that I have failed to properly warn people that there will be mild **shounen-ai **involved in this fanfiction. So be forewarned.

I'm sorry that I haven't posted for a week. I took some time off to, you know, sing at Carnegie hall and stuff. No big deal. (lol) But seriously, now that my whole choir trip to New York is over, I should have more time to write and update.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my fic! I accept constructive criticism always and appreciate it greatly. Just be nice. I love all reviews and appreciate them a lot! Tell me what you think!

Hope you like this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Kaidoh obviously did his training. He gave an impressive show in the match against Fudomine's Kamio Akira. And, as if in atonement for his defeat against Echizen, Kaidoh won the match by stamina alone.

Inui felt like a bragging parent. He found the opportunity to tell everyone what training Kaidoh had really been doing. 10-kilometer run in the morning. 10-kilometer run after practice. 10-kilometer run at night. 150 shuttle runs in three sets. 150 push-ups. Every single day. This was almost 3 times what anyone else on the team had been doing. And they were all thoroughly impressed. Inui just smiled and continued watching the game.

Even more exciting than that was a lucky around-the-pole shot that Kaidoh hit in desperation. Everyone started calling it the "Boomerang Snake." Most likely, Kaidoh would want to hit that shot again. And Inui figured that with Kaidoh's skill as a spin artist combined with a little bit more practice, he could very well do it.

So at home later that evening, Inui did some thinking. How could he train Kaidoh to hit such an absurd shot consistently? It was hard, because Inui had not had much of a chance to observe the shot. He mentally beat himself up for not taping it. He tried to recreate the situation in his mind. It was a diving shot. Was a dive necessary to create the spin? Inui decided that it wasn't. In any case, that could be overcome. Did it have something to do with sliding on the wet ground? No. If anything, that should have hindered it.

Inui grabbed his own racket and stood in the middle of his floor. Then he took a few swings. He didn't normally put a lot of spin on his shots, but he tried to figure what worked best when he did. He took a few more swings. Then he saw it.

He had to use the entire length of his arm.

But even with that, Inui knew that he wouldn't be able to hit a shot like that. It would take too much shoulder strength. Not that he would hurt his shoulder trying, but he simply wouldn't be able to create the spin.

So now the problem was, how could Kaidoh be trained to use his whole arm in that shot?

While he was thinking, Inui turned once again to folding cranes. He thought it would help him think. Instead, it somehow distracted him with memories.

He thought again of the night he'd folded his first crane out of the 1,000 he'd promised himself he'd do. He remembered the dream he had been holding onto, that one wish that now seemed even farther than it had back then.

_86.9 percent finished…_

…_Why am I doing this?_

This took a bit more thought, and he stopped folding. He pondered. Every time he'd grabbed another paper square, he'd done it with a sense of duty. Like he _had_ to get it done. Why on earth would it be so important? Or even worthwhile?

Maybe it was because he still wanted to make a wish…

Oh, for the love of… Had he really begun to believe that silly notion?

Inui shook his head in disgust at his own subconscious sense of superstition. But he decided he'd fold one more bird before going back to what he had been doing. Once that was done, he had to ask himself, "What was I supposed to be working on? Oh… that's right…

"Kaidoh."

He looked at his racket, which was now sitting in the corner. And suddenly he wondered if he'd really be able to help anyway.

Shaking off that unhappy thought, he turned off his desk lamp. Maybe he could get a fresh start in the morning.

…

Inui forgot his former task when he woke up because he went out for a jog. He had a vague sense that the next intramural tournament was creeping up on him quickly.

He would not give up his spot as a regular again.

But until then, he would do his best as just the manager. He knew that being on the team would not change his position in that regard, merely adding the chance to play in the matches himself. For now, he had other things to focus on. Like their upcoming opponents. The next team would be easy: they were some no-name school that never made it very far into the tournament. However, St. Rudolph, who Seigaku would most likely play at some point, was another matter. Inui was wary of that school and _their_ manager, Mizuki Hajime.

What would be the best way to organize the team? Doubles one and singles one and two were obvious. But the rest? That was another matter. Would Tezuka and Ryuzaki-sensei ask Inui for his advice? Inui hoped that they would. It was an important decision that had to be thought about carefully, with everything considered.

Taking a moment to rest on a bench, Inui slipped his notebook out of his backpack. He tried to find clues that would give him the answer to this difficult problem. He stopped on the page that had notes on Kaidoh's Boomerang, because he had placed a bookmark there.

_Ah, yes. I was supposed to figure this out…_

Then Inui made a connection. An around-the-pole shot was nearly impossible to hit into a singles court, especially if the nets were set up for doubles, as they always were at this level. Letting Kaidoh play singles and risking him trying _that _again would be suicide, given his stubbornness.

But could Kaidoh hit the Boomerang Snake in doubles?

It was an interesting thought. The question then was, who would be his partner?

Well, who was left? Echizen. Not a chance. Momoshiro. Same thing. Kawamura? Well, maybe… But the combination would seem off. It didn't seem like Kaidoh would deal with Kawamura's Burning Alter-ego very gracefully. Inui knew now what he had to do, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

He would have to pair Momo and Kaidoh up as a doubles team.

It made sense, really. Working so close together would get the two rivals fired up. That energy would increase their chances of winning by at least 25 percent, since they were both such passionate players. But Inui knew that neither of them would be very happy about it.

Oh, well. They would just have to deal with it. Provided of course, that Tezuka would ask Inui for his opinion. And Inui was sure the captain would.

When Tezuka saw Inui's list for the St. Rudolph matches, he repeated it carefully.

"Singles one: myself. Singles two: Fuji. Singles three: Echizen." Here, the captain nodded subtly. "Doubles one: Oishi, Kikumaru. Doubles two:…"

There was a long silence.

"Is something wrong?" Inui asked.

"Doubles two," Tezuka tried again. "Momoshiro, Kaidoh." He pushed up his glasses. "An… interesting choice." The tennis captain pocketed the list. "I'll trust you on this one, Inui."

"Thank you, Captain."

And that was that. Now all Inui had to do was take careful notes. And that, after all, was his specialty.

…

The second doubles match against St. Rudolph proved interesting. The combination of the two rivals worked better than most people had been expecting. And it worked out just as well as Inui _had _expected. Not only that, but, as Inui had predicted, Kaidoh used his new shot a couple of times, though it never landed in the singles court. It was just as Inui had thought, and this time he took better notes. The only problem seemed to be that Kaidoh had not learned to use his full arm yet. But there had to be some way that could be taught. Inui just had to find a way to do it.

Another thing that Inui saw was that Kaidoh seemed to have a pretty good mind for doubles, for a beginner. He could feel the court and see which areas had to be covered. Though he was an awesome singles player, with a bit more practice, he could be an awesome doubles player as well.

It was here that Inui decided that, once he was a regular again, he would ask Kaidoh to play doubles with him.

But that was another problem: becoming a regular again. Seigaku won against St. Rudolph, which meant they were going to advance. And that meant that the next intra-school tournament was very important.

Inui felt almost bad. His return to the regulars would invariably mean that someone else would be bumped off. And Inui would hate to put someone through that, because he knew what it was like. But he knew it was important that the best players were a part of the team. Inui was determined to be at least in the top eight, once again. He believed that, after the training and data collecting he had done lately, he was already one of those people. But he would have to keep it up. So he trained harder.

Inui really pushed himself. He figured that he'd nearly stopped growing, so it was okay to work his body to its limits. He made a menu for himself that was even harder than the one he'd made for Kaidoh. Naturally, he was exhausted. But he figured that sleep wasn't extremely important until a couple nights before the school tournament. Even so, it was hard to fit everything in.

One night, though, he took a moment to relax and fold a few more paper cranes. He felt somehow that his former dream had come alive again. It had changed, granted; now his goal was not to be the best, only to be more than good enough to make the team. But it was still the same concept, in a way.

When Inui found out he would be playing Tezuka, his will to win flared up even more. Luckily, a player had to lose twice to be eliminated. So even if Tezuka beat Inui, as always before… No, it was stupid to think like that. Inui was going to give it his greatest effort. Whether that would be enough or not… well, that was up to some power greater than himself.

Tezuka beat Inui. There was no surprise there. But Inui had put up an awesome fight, and he felt _respected _again. He was no longer just the creepy tall guy who got kicked off the regulars and became manager. Now he heard people say that he might very well be the third-best player on the entire team. And that was saying something.

Unfortunately, it was Momoshiro whom Inui had replaced. It would have been a sorry thing to see any teammate eliminated from the regulars, but no one could help feeling a little extra sorry for Momo. He was always so upbeat, after all, always such an encouragement… This was a huge setback for the second-year, everyone could tell. They were all worried when he didn't show up for practice.

As concerned as he was for Momoshiro, though, Inui was just as concerned about Kaidoh. How would this affect him? With his rival gone, would Kaidoh lose some of his motivation?

That proved to be somewhat true, though it manifested itself in a way that made no real difference. Kaidoh continued practicing and training exactly the same way, but Inui noticed that he just didn't seem to care as much. Luckily, apathy doesn't stunt muscle growth. So Inui decided there was no reason to interfere, and he wouldn't try.

Inui found out later that Kaidoh had actually been doing some extra training. He discovered the second-year down by the city canal one day while he was out running. After the quick double-take he did when he realized that it was Kaidoh down there, Inui noticed, unavoidably, that Kaidoh had laid his normal black tank top aside. Which meant, of course, that Kaidoh wasn't wearing a shirt.

Inui adjusted his glasses, wondering why he found that somewhat… _distracting_.

He quickly shook it off. What was Kaidoh doing? He was swinging his racket. But not his normal swing. Inui assumed correctly that he was trying to fix his Boomerang shot.

How would one fix such a shot?

Inui looked at the river. Then, getting an idea, he took the towel he had brought with him on his jog off of his shoulders.

"Kaidoh," he called.

Kaidoh instantly looked up. He looked shocked for a few moments, then responded, "Inui-senpai."

Wondering what had caused Kaidoh to pause, Inui walked down to him and handed him the towel. "Here. Use this."

It took a moment of thought for Kaidoh to finally ask, "What's with this towel?"

Inui had already rolled up his pant legs and was starting to wade into the canal. Afraid of being too distracted again to explain, he kept his back to the second year as he suggested, "Come here and try swinging with that."

Kaidoh looked at the object in his hand as if he had never seen it before. "With this towel?"

Forced now to turn around, Inui only nodded. Kaidoh obediently followed orders. Inui watched him carefully. He could have simply told Kaidoh what to do, but he decided to let him figure it out for himself. Or at least get a better feel for what was wrong.

Kaidoh was stubborn, and Inui knew this would take a while. So he just watched. First, he observed logically. What did Kaidoh need to work on? He was cutting off the motion at his elbow, which was helpful for some spin shots. Obviously, he was worried too much about the spin on the ball, and not the follow-through. Would he see that for himself?

Inui watched the second-year's muscles work. Since, now, he could see them all working. The towel was obviously feeling heavier and heavier with the weight of the water, and Kaidoh was working harder. There was power in those muscles. Inui felt like he was seeing Kaidoh swing that towel for the thousandth time… The water spray flashed brilliant amber in the setting sun…

"What's wrong, Kaidoh?" Inui asked abruptly, interrupting his own thoughts. Kaidoh stopped as well. Inui continued, "You can't swing it with a snap of your wrist, right?"

Kaidoh said nothing.

"There's the key to completing your Boomerang Snake."

After pondering that for a moment, Kaidoh resumed the towel-swinging. Inui watched a few more swings, then took it as his cue to leave.

"Hey, senpai."

The third-year turned.

"Do you want this back?" Kaidoh held out the towel politely.

"No, I don't need it," Inui said with a wave of his hand. "Keep it." Then he continued his climb to get back on the sidewalk. He didn't see Kaidoh clutch the towel tightly and stare at it for a few moments before resuming his new form of training.

…

Once Inui found out that Hyotei would be their next opponent, he decided to keep his training schedule at the high level it had been before the intra-school tournament. Hyotei would be a difficult team to beat. Tezuka would be looking for a solid pair to play in the second doubles spot, which was traditionally Seigaku's weakest slot. And Inui already knew who he would recommend. But he knew that Tezuka would not be the one in need of the most persuasion.

Inui ran 15 kilometers every day after practice, taking the same route each time he did so. Every single time, he went past that same spot by the canal. And every single day, he would see Kaidoh down there in the river, swinging the towel that Inui had given him.

Inui stopped to watch every time he went by. And he wondered how long Kaidoh practiced before he got there. How long after he left? It was impossible to say. Never once did Kaidoh finish before Inui decided to go home.

On the seventh day of seeing this, Inui climbed down the steep slope to the grassy area by the water. He was certain Kaidoh had noticed his presence by now, but the second-year didn't even turn around.

_To keep swinging for a week…_

_What a guy._

Inui rolled up the bottoms of his pant legs and stepped into the water.

"I don't care what Hyotei is," Kaidoh suddenly declared, causing Inui to look up. Was he talking to himself, or…?

"I'll crush them!"

Another swing of the towel splashed light droplets of water into Inui's face.

The match against Hyotei was pressing near. There was still so much training that had to be done. It was important that everyone knew their role in the upcoming contest. Inui knew he would not get a better opportunity than this.

He had to ask now.

"Kaidoh…"

Inui watched Kaidoh's intense black eyes shift towards him. Everything was standing still.

"Want to team up with me in doubles?"

No change came over Kaidoh's face. Still nothing moved. It seemed like an eternity before the second-year gripped the towel and answered harshly with the two words the towel's former owner least wanted to hear.

"I refuse!"

Inui didn't waver. Emotions were not part of his game. He gave Kaidoh the chance to explain.

"I will fight in singles until the end. I won't have anyone get in my way!" There was fire in his eyes.

_In the way?_

Still Inui was not moved. Because he still had his logic, he still had his argument prepared. But if his cause had been lost with those words, he would have lashed out against them. Why? He couldn't say. But he wanted to argue. He, of all people… in the way? When he'd done nothing but try to help? Even so, the fact seemed to remain…

Kaidoh must have thought he was just in the way.

Nevertheless, Inui had to at least try to convince Kaidoh to do this. For the team, of course.

"But Kaidoh," he began. "Before you master the Boomerang Snake, there's no chance for you to play in singles. Since Tezuka, Fuji, and Echizen are in singles."

Kaidoh gripped the wet towel tighter and protested, "That doesn't matter!"

Inui let out a silent sigh. "You should have noticed already, too… No matter how much you practice the Boomerang Snake here, it is still just practice. If you try it out in a real match, you'll see how it should be done. The Boomerang Snake will then be your skill."

Inui couldn't tell whether he had presented his argument robotically or with conviction. In any case, it didn't matter. At least he had made it through. Kaidoh seemed to have understood. His arm dropped slightly more to his side, and his grip relaxed.

"How about it, Kaidoh?" Inui pressed calmly. "Team up with me in doubles, and use that chance to upgrade your Boomerang Snake?"

Kaidoh stood up a little straighter, his eyes remaining just as intense. He looked as though he was trying to read Inui, to see through those thick glasses. This made Inui feel a little strange. He wasn't afraid, because he knew Kaidoh would never see. But he was now glad for the glass barriers that protected the windows to his soul.

But what could be in there that he wouldn't want Kaidoh to see?

The second-year blinked, and the fire was gone. "Are you okay with that?" he ventured.

What sort of a question was that?

"Yes," Inui replied simply. He then added cryptically, "I have my reasons for using you in return."

He had a plan.

* * *

(end of chapter 3)

_Author's Notes_: I'm still really enjoying writing all of this. Exploring Inui's character has been... quite an educational experience. I know I've been using a lot of actual scenes from the series, and that will continue. I feel like I hardly write on my own anymore... For the dialogue, I've been using the translations done by Anime Otakus in their fansubs. Their translations, in my opinion, make a lot of sense and are very well done.

You may have noticed that I conveniently skipped all things pertaining to the matches against Yamabuki. Frankly, it's because I don't like Yamabuki. Oh sure... It was Momo's finest hour before he got kicked off the regulars and Sengoku's great and there was much Taka drama and Ryoma drama and Akutsu drama and Dan drama... but honestly, when one match goes on for FIVE episodes, you get kind of tired of it. And the whole thing really has nothing to do with this fanfic because there was nothing in there about Kaidoh OR Inui. So there's my long, drawn-out explanation for skipping it.

I like doing author's notes. I've put a lot of thought into this fanfiction so I like explaining it. Just bear with me, lol.

Random shout out to Whisper... Dude, that's a LOT of crane folding! I find that kind of a strange coincidence that someone who's reading my fic would fold cranes as a hobby... Anyways, thanks so much for your kind reviews!

Stay tuned for Chapter Four!

-TM


	4. Biology

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. So don't sue me... I'm sad enough about that as it is.

**Warning: **This fanfic contains mild shounen-ai.

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I was sort of making it up as I went along and I think it turned out okay. Sorry for the freaky chapter title; I really couldn't think of anything else to call it. I know I updated pretty quick after the lastone, butI won't be updating for a little while because I think the next chapter might take a little more time... Anyways, enjoy. Please review! I appreciate all comments always.

* * *

Inui folded more paper cranes that night, knowing he wouldn't get the chance to do so for a while. Things were looking up, though, in spite of all the work that had to be done. He had overcome the biggest hurdle to winning second doubles, which was to make sure his teammate was right there with him. Of course, there was a little more to be done in that regard, most importantly, to talk more about strategy. Inui had only begun to explain what his plan was after Kaidoh had consented. He knew he would have the chance to get into specifics later… at least, he _hoped_ he would get a chance… 

Inui shook his head. Of course he would get a chance. He would _make_ a chance. But why was he procrastinating it? This question made him a bit uneasy, so he decided not to dwell on it.

He carefully pulled on the wings of the crane he had just made, giving its body more shape.

_89.2 percent finished._

Suddenly Inui realized how close he was to finishing his crane-making. He had about 100 left… 100 wasn't so much, really. He would be done before he graduated junior high. But maybe just barely.

His cranes looked at lot better than they did when he first started. He worked with practiced, knowing hands, and it now only took him three minutes to make each bird, when it used to take him five. He wondered how many people had ever actually finished folding 1,000 paper cranes. There had to be very few. It was a lot of work.

Inui finished folding one last crane and made a tally.

_89.3 percent finished._

It was time to go to bed. Inui planned on getting up early for a jog the next morning. So, throwing the crane in the box, he turned out the light, took off his glasses, and went to sleep.

When his alarm woke him up, he really didn't feel like getting out of bed. But, like all mornings, he did anyway. Methodically, he got dressed, had breakfast, grabbed his notebook, and headed out the door.

The park sounded like a good idea this morning, so Inui went there to start his run. It really was a nice day out. The weather was cool and pleasant; perfect for exercise. After a few laps around the entirety of the park, Inui sat down with his notebook to do some calculations with his data. While he did so, he raised his leg off the ground, along with the ankle weights he was wearing, to help build muscle.

He thumbed through some pages of statistics he had printed off the internet, from local tennis sites that followed the junior high tournaments. First, he would deal with the challenges his teammates would face. Singles one was irrelevant because Tezuka never asked for advice. In singles two, it was good to know that Jirou had a great net game and should not be underestimated, but Inui knew that Fuji probably wouldn't be that interested when he told him. Singles three seemed troublesome. Only Kawamura could possibly stand up to Kabaji, but then it seemed simply up to chance. Inui was hardly able to find any data on the gargantuan second-year. Doubles one might be a problem. The Golden Pair would have to watch out for Ootori's serve and Shishido's rising counter shot. But in all these areas, Inui hadn't gathered much data, because he knew his teammates wouldn't really do much with it.

But doubles two, he had studied carefully. Mukahi Gakuto and Oshitari Yuushi. The latter, especially, was one to watch out for…

Behind him, Inui thought he heard a twig snap. He turned. No one there. Nevertheless, he stared long enough to try and figure out if someone _had _been there. He got the distinct impression that someone had.

He turned back to his data and continued writing. There was a 78 percent chance that whoever it was would reappear. Switching legs, he did some math on his paper. He gained back so much concentration that he wasn't even watching to see the person come out of hiding, and he was almost startled when a voice asked, somewhat softly, "What are

you doing?"

Inui blinked. He knew that voice. Smiling, he leaned over the back of the bench so that he was looking at his visitor upside-down.

Interesting. So curiosity had made the snake come out only after Inui had left him alone.

"You want to know?" Inui asked right back, after that short pause.

Kaidoh didn't answer. Obviously he wanted to know.

Inui sat up again, his back now facing the second-year. He traced over some of his calculations nonchalantly with the top end of his pen. "I'm just going through some data on Hyotei. I've studied our opponents very closely—"

"Not that, senpai. You always do that. I meant, that thing with your leg."

"Oh, that?" Now he began tapping his pen on his quadriceps. "Training. It builds muscle."

"_More _training, senpai?"

Inui couldn't help smiling at that. He chuckled very softly and adjusted his glasses. "So you noticed. Have you been following me that long?"

Kaidoh didn't respond, but Inui heard him make a choked noise as if he were about to protest. The third-year smiled. "Relax, Kaidoh. I'm just kidding. But, yes, I have been training even more than you have."

"Why?"

Inui let silence reign for a few moments while he digested this question. He studied a pair of blackbirds that were sitting in the tree just in front of him. "You want to know?" he said finally. "Why did I increase my training to a level above yours?" He could feel Kaidoh patiently waiting for the answer to this repeated information. Inui turned to face him.

"I'll tell you."

Here, Inui stood up and walked over to where Kaidoh was standing, in the grass. He stood facing him for a while, without saying anything. The second-year was staring up at him with eyes that were sharp, yet somehow docile. It was at this moment that Inui realized that, when he looked at Kaidoh, he saw him still as the freshman he had met a year ago. Though he could see in every way how the snakelike teenager was becoming a handsomely built young man, Inui's eyes never let go of the traits he had seen in Kaidoh that very first year: ever-naïve, ever-determined, curious and eager to learn.

The time that passed in this silence probably seemed longer than it actually was. But soon Inui felt awkward as he noticed that Kaidoh was still waiting quietly, so he turned and took a few steps further beneath the trees until he came to a little clearing. He plopped down, holding up his notebook and staring at it to avoid eye contact for a few more seconds.

"Sit. Let's talk."

Kaidoh sat in front of his senpai, cross-legged and attentive. Inui started into his explanation with words so precise that he felt he had rehearsed them. He even began to wonder if he subconsciously had. "Let's say when one is in class, or when one is just listening to someone else, one's body isn't at rest. That's why I raise my leg up like this to train it, using ankle weights." He demonstrated. Then he lifted his body a little ways off the ground, so that Kaidoh had to look up slightly. "It's okay to raise one's back like this, too. It's not that hard…"

Kaidoh stared up at him with something like wonder in his eyes and voice. "You… increase your training time like this?"

Inui sat back down. He was glad Kaidoh had noticed that point. "Well, there's a lot to do, after all. I can't stop investigating, either." Kaidoh's eyes had shifted out of focus as he dwelled on the scope of Inui's aggressive training schedule. There was no need to explain further, so Inui switched the focus to his trainee. "It's okay for you to do it too, but don't overdo it."

Kaidoh's eyes snapped back to attention as he anticipated instruction. Inui gladly gave him some. "Since you're still growing, it's better if you go at a slower pace. Your bones will form better."

The second-year let out a little "oh" to show that he understood. Inui couldn't help thinking that it was maybe just a little cute. He pressed onward, but not without a smile. "If you overdo it, it will be bad for you." Again, Kaidoh quietly declared his comprehension.

Inui observed a few indicators in his head. Kaidoh was obviously listening to these last few points very carefully—a sign that it was probably something he hadn't thought of. Inui took this as a 98 percent certain confirmation of one of his hypotheses about the second-year. He decided to tell Kaidoh this little secret.

"On top of that, training doesn't depend on the time you spend or how much you do it… To say the truth, I've kept your training 10 percent below what you wanted."

Here, Kaidoh really wanted to protest. The second-year rose slightly and made that same choked noise that came from a desire to argue, but he seemed to stop himself. Even so, his mouth hung open and his eyes were wide in shock and dismay. Inui kept him from saying anything by explaining, "I knew for sure that you would do more than what I gave you."

Kaidoh simply had no answer to that. He looked a little angry about it. Obviously it bothered him that his senpai could see through him so clearly. Inui was used to dealing with people who felt that way about him. But he really wanted to show Kaidoh that there was a reason for what he was doing. He only wanted to help.

"If that's the case, there might be problems like the one I stated earlier. It's about the balance of your body conditions. If you overdo training on one part of your body, there has to be harm done on another part of your body." Kaidoh understood now, and was listening. "I check my body condition every day and change my training schedule accordingly. But you can't do that. That's why your training is 2.25 times less than mine."

As Inui spoke, he thought through his own words. This balance issue really _was_ a problem. Not only was it probable that Kaidoh could mess something up through his extra training, but he also wasn't able to get the most out of the training he was doing.

_Wouldn't it be nice if…?_

_It couldn't hurt to ask._

Inui decided to tell Kaidoh his idea as if he had been planning it all along. Why he did this, he wasn't sure. It just seemed like the idea would have more merit if he presented it that way. "In any case," he started. "Do you want to practice with me until the Kantou tournament?" He stopped, then quickly explained, perhaps more for himself than for his new doubles partner, "Then I can thoroughly adjust your training."

Kaidoh turned his head slightly away, skeptical of this plan. "That's to collect my data again, huh?"

What was _that_ response? Did that mean he didn't really want to? Inui should have expected that. But honestly, the excuse made no sense. Didn't Kaidoh know how closely his senpai had already studied him? How much more data could he possibly collect on the second-year? He practically stalked—no, that was ridiculous. Somewhat vexed, he retorted, "Don't be stupid now, Kaidoh."

That grabbed his attention. Good.

"I nearly have complete data on you now. The ones whom I want data from now are Fuji… and Tezuka." Kaidoh looked away again. Defeated, perhaps? Inui smiled, feeling he had gained some sort of an upper hand. Now, to be fair, it was time to offer Kaidoh something that might spark his interest in the deal. Subtlety was the key.

"Our freshman evolves during his matches." Kaidoh was looking up again before Inui finished the sentence. "If I get his data, the only thing to do is predict, right?

"Kaidoh…"

The second-year didn't seem to comprehend at first. Then the light bulb clicked on. He seemed a little embarrassed, though; he shifted his eyes away and rubbed the back of his neck. Inui could tell that he didn't want to admit it was an offer he couldn't refuse.

_So, how about it, Kaidoh? _Inui asked silently.

When no answer came, he stood up and offered a hand to his doubles partner. "I have some more running I wanted to do. Would you like to join me?"

Kaidoh looked up at Inui, contemplating, trying once again to see through his senpai's glasses. Inui couldn't help feeling quite safe from that piercing stare as he towered over the second-year.

_You'll never know what I'm thinking, Kaidoh. Will you trust me anyway?_

"Yes," Kaidoh declared suddenly, and he grabbed Inui's hand. As the data collector pulled his new trainee off the ground, he tried to remember what he had asked aloud that Kaidoh was assenting to. Somehow, the memory had been replaced by his mental inquiry.

Inui tried really hard to convince himself that Kaidoh did not necessarily trust him. But he found it too hard to put the hope aside.

Kaidoh wasn't making eye contact. What was he staring at? His hand? Inui looked down.

_Their _hands.

Inui abruptly let go. He nervously began fingering his notebook as he tried to read Kaidoh's expression. The second-year looked more perplexed at his senpai's strange actions than anything else. Not angry, not embarrassed. Good.

With a short, calming breath, Inui tucked his notebook under his arm and finally remembered what he had offered. "Well, shall we start?"

"Okay."

"A few more laps around the park, then."

"Alright, senpai."

And Inui took off running with Kaidoh close behind.

They spent the entire day together, training. Neither of them really did anything else with their Sundays anyway. The weather remained gorgeous, and Inui couldn't help but enjoy himself. He began feeling excited for the match against Hyotei. This extra training would make a huge difference in their performance. It seemed possible right now that everything would work out perfectly and exactly according to plan. It seemed possible, even probable, that they would win.

It almost seemed too good to be true.

At the end of the day, the two of them finished a carefully calculated 10-km route that ended at Kaidoh's house. It was sunset, and time for Inui to be heading home himself. Some unfamiliar part of him didn't want to. It almost felt like, if he left now, Kaidoh would change his mind and the whole, wonderful plan would be lost forever. Maybe it _was _too good to be true. Inui decided that he'd have to verbally pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Kaidoh… Are you sure you want to do this?"

The second-year shifted his head to one side. "Do what, senpai?"

Inui clutched his notebook. "Play doubles together." He quickly changed his statement, "With me."

Why did that word "together" feel so awkward all of a sudden?

Kaidoh's expression was perplexed for a second, and then shifted towards a look of resolve. "Yes, senpai. It's fine."

_Fine? Just fine?_ Inui thought with regret. For _him, _he knew, it was… well, it was more than just _fine. _It was something else entirely.

The third-year supposed it didn't matter. Kaidoh had said yes for a second time, and that was enough now. But he was probably wondering why Inui had asked again. So he mentioned, "Alright, then. I'll be giving my tentative list for Saturday's lineup to Tezuka tomorrow. You and I will be in the second doubles spot." Then he put his hands in his pockets and turned to begin walking away.

A thought occurred to him, and he turned back around. Kaidoh had not moved. That was odd.

"Would you like to run with me tomorrow before school, Kaidoh?"

"Sure, senpai. That would be fine."

_He likes that word, "fine." _Inui pushed up his glasses. "I'll be by tomorrow at five. That should give us plenty of time."

"Okay."

There was a very long pause. Inui couldn't find anything to say as he looked Kaidoh over. The second-year was flushed and glistening from their long run. But he wasn't out of breath; he was looking at his senpai with calm eyes that were focused and unfocused at the same time. He was glowing from the sunlight that Inui could not see but could feel, warm against his back. Warm like the blood he felt rushing into his cheeks.

He turned around quickly so that Kaidoh would not see the color appear in his face. Why was he noticing the strangest things lately when he looked at the second-year? He took a deep breath. Such awkward moments should be ignored and brushed aside, he figured.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then."

As he left, he could sense that, behind him, Kaidoh didn't move an inch, at least not until his senpai had turned the corner. And Inui spent his entire walk home trying to figure out why this was.

…

The next morning, Inui woke up at 4:00am on his own, when he had set his alarm for 4:30. Not knowing why this was, he shut off the alarm and tried to think of something to do with his time.

On his desk remained the pile of origami paper. But Inui didn't even give the idea a second's thought. He folded cranes only when he was wishing for something. This morning, he had everything he wanted. He was team manager. Training was going nicely. He was on the regulars again. He would be playing second doubles on Saturday…

Inui felt butterflies manifesting themselves in his stomach. Why was he so excited? It was just another tennis match…

Trying to avoid arriving at any disturbing conclusions, Inui went downstairs and tried to occupy himself. He went to the kitchen and stuffed some vegetables into the blender that he kept perpetually plugged in. He switched it to the highest setting and watched it do its thing. The mixture turned a sickly yellow. He tasted it.

It was pretty disgusting, but only for its blandness. Not that he ever really minded his own concoctions, but the fact that everyone else hated them was working out rather nicely. This particular mixture, however, would not put the fear of Inui Sadaharu in them. And it needed to. But what could he add?

The drink could perhaps use some… _protein._

He got on his knees and looked underneath the bottom cupboards. Then he looked in them, then in the pantry. It seemed that his mother had somehow solved their cockroach problem. What bad luck…

With a sigh, he poured his grayish-yellow juice into a pitcher and stuck it in the fridge so it wouldn't spoil. Not that that could make it taste any worse, he thought with a smile. In any case, it was 4:30 now and he had to get ready to go.

Inui arrived at Kaidoh's house 22 minutes later. Despite being slightly early, he decided to ring the doorbell anyway. There was a 69 percent chance that Kaidoh was all ready anyway, because Inui knew that he was used to getting up early. And, sure enough, Kaidoh appeared only a few seconds later, all dressed and ready to go.

"You ready?" Inui checked.

"Yes."

The run was uneventful, but it was pleasant, and Inui wished it could have lasted longer. When classes started, he found himself unable to focus. He stared out the window, longing to just go out and play tennis. School seemed like a waste of time at this point. Tennis was all that mattered right now. If he were allowed, Inui knew he would study independently during the off-season instead of wasting his time during the busiest part of the year… Not of course, that he ever gave himself much of an off season… But still, he knew that he would have the discipline to keep up his education through his own studies if he were able.

While he was turning over these thoughts in his brain, still staring at the window, he kept up his old habit of raising one leg up under his desk at a time, switching every couple of minutes. He was wearing ankle weights as always, but by now his leg muscles were so strong that he could probably keep one leg up for at least five minutes at a time. He was painfully aware that some students in the room would still glance at him every now and then, silently laughing at him for being the geek that he was. He didn't care. He couldn't. When one was that serious about tennis, one couldn't afford to care.

Inui realized that he wasn't paying attention. Normally he was interested during biology class. Now he just didn't care. He tried to listen, but the teacher's monotonous voice faded into the background of his consciousness. He continued to stare out the window, and he began a daydream that was instantly forgotten when the bell rang. All Inui could think about at that point was getting to practice.

In the locker room, Fuji began a conversation among the third-years that turned out to be very… interesting.

"So, how about that biology lesson today?"

"What about it?" Taka asked.

"Oh, well, never mind. You're not in our class…" Fuji smiled, unbuttoning his shirt.

"No, I think every class had it," Tezuka cut in unexpectedly. "I heard some students from your class talking, and it sounded like the same lesson."

Oishi was blushing slightly. "The one about… reproductive cycles… right?"

Fuji's face brightened even more. "Of reptiles. Yes, that's the one."

Inui grimaced slightly. This sounded vaguely familiar.

"Honestly, it was more than I ever really wanted to know about snakes…" Oishi was rustling around some things in his bag. His uniform shirt was unbuttoned, but he seemed hesitant to take it off.

Kikumaru, meanwhile, was just slipping his arms into the sleeves of his blue and white polo shirt. "Well, I didn't get it."

Fuji laughed. "You were hardly paying attention, Eiji." Fully dressed, he grabbed his racket and sauntered towards the door. Before exiting, he added smugly, "Maybe Oishi can explain it to you later."

The vice-captain's face turned four shades of deep red.

Inui, meanwhile, was trying to keep his own face from doing so. Something about this conversation… He felt like he knew exactly what they were all talking about, like he had heard the entire lesson. But he had been daydreaming, right?

What had he been _thinking_ about?

Inui turned to look at Kaidoh, whose back was to him. The second-year seemed completely uninterested in whatever it was his senpais were talking about, and he just had to finish tying his trademark bandana before he could walk out the door.

Inui winced. Now was not the time to be thinking about biology. Now was time for practice.

* * *

_Author's Notes: _Now you understand the chapter title. And you'd thought I'd never explain it... hehe. 

I'm really starting to enjoy writing for Inui. He's a strange one, though... I kind of like to see him as the sort of person who has such a great mask that it becomes his personality. So what he says most of the time has nothing to do with how he feels. So much so, that he doesn't really know what to do with his feelings anymore. And, as you can see, it's becoming a problem now,when it never was before. Once again, this is all proof that I'm waaay over-thinking this. But it's fun. I can think about this all day when I'm supposed to be paying attention in class... XD

I debated about whether or not to raise the rating on my fic because of the whole biology lesson thing... but everyone learns about stuff like that in school, right? Please tell me if you think I should change it. My editor and I were talking about similar lessons we had in 9th grade. If you ever study snakes and their mating processes, be forewarned... It's really kind of disturbing.

By the way, big thanks once again and always to my editor. She hardly edits, though... she mostly just gives me praise I don't deserve. But it encourages me and helps me have the stamina to write more. And she's always there to answer my questions and give great suggestions. Thanks always! You rock!

Thanks to all of my reviewers! You guys are awesome and much too kind.

-TM


	5. Dreaming

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. I weep. But don't sue me.

**Warning: **This fanfic contains elements of shounen ai.

**Author's Notes: **Sorry I took so long to do this chapter! It seems that time has been slipping away from me.

I only post a chapter at a time on here, but I'll be uploading bits and pieces onto my new livejournal account (see my bio). So if you want the latest updates, go there. (And put me on your friends list, nya! I'll be more than happy to do the same for you.)

So here's a belated ch. 5! Enjoy!

* * *

After practice, Inui stepped into Ryuzaki-sensei's office, where she and Tezuka were waiting for him. He handed them his suggestions as promised. They looked them over. 

"Singles one, singles two, blah blah blah…" the coach muttered. "Singles three, good choice. Doubles one, of course. Doubles two…"

Here, the teacher stopped. She looked to Tezuka, curious for his reaction. Inui was curious as well. Tezuka had lapsed into his more characteristic silence, but this particular pause made Inui uneasy. The captain made no eye contact with either of them, but stared intently at the list.

With a sort of smirk, Ryuzaki-sensei glanced back at Inui. "Have you asked him?"

"Yes," Inui replied, shortly, still nervous.

"And he wants to?"

"Yes."

There was another pause. This time, Tezuka was staring straight at Inui. Trapped in a corner, the data player could only ask, defensively, "Is that really so strange?"

The coach laughed. "Well, as you recall, he wasn't exactly happy about playing doubles last time." Tezuka gave the list to her and stood up to look out the window.

Inui sighed quietly. "You can change it, if you want…"

"No," Tezuka interrupted.

Ryuzaki and Inui froze and turned to look at the unexpected speaker. His command had been so forceful, _loud_ even… Inui had no clue why this was, but he knew one thing…

There would be no changes made to his list.

Inui left the office without feeling that he had gotten his way. Instead, he somehow felt like he had no part whatsoever in the decision. Like he had somehow become a pawn in the captain's brilliant game. Not, of course, that he was treated as such, but it was clear that Tezuka had his own plan for every match that Seigaku played. And he would not let anyone else's suggestions change that plan; they could only enhance it.

Inui found Kaidoh waiting for him in front of the locker room, ready to train with him for the rest of the afternoon. "What did they say, senpai?" he asked. He seemed unusually interested.

"We're playing doubles two," Inui answered cheerfully, yet without a smile. "Now we just have to figure out how we're going to win."

Kaidoh actually cracked a smile at this thought. He hit his fist against his other hand. "Easy: we'll crush them."

Inui couldn't stop himself from grinning. He could see that his teammate was starting to get fired up for the match, now that it was settled that they would be playing. This was good… _very _good, in fact. Inui had hoped that Kaidoh would start getting excited for the game, but he hadn't necessarily expected it. He adjusted his glasses. "Of course we will. But it's not quite that simple."

"Right. So how do we beat them?"

"I'll show you how." Inui drummed his fingers on his notebook, thinking. "Why don't we go to my house today instead of running? We need to talk strategy."

"Sure, senpai."

Inui blinked once or twice. That was too easy… wasn't it? Since when did Kaidoh just do whatever he was told? And he said, "Sure." Inui had been 99 percent positive that he would use the word "fine" again, like it was something he didn't want to do… Inui looked him over, carefully. There was a fire in the second-year's eyes that he couldn't understand. It was obvious that Kaidoh really wanted to win. He always wanted that. But didn't he want to do it in his own way? He never wanted to play doubles, and he had already clearly expressed that he didn't want to be held back, so why would he--?

"Senpai?" Kaidoh's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes?" Inui responded quickly. He had, once again, taken too much time to analyze the situation. Lately, he'd been doing that much too frequently.

"What's the matter?"

"It's nothing; sorry," he promptly replied. He could think about all of this later. "Let's get going."

The walk to Inui's house was an interesting one. They talked, but Inui really couldn't say afterwards what they talked _about_. He just knew it had been pleasant. There must have been some tennis talk in there, but the two of them also talked about things that had nothing to do with the sport. Inui had even laughed a few times. And, if his memory wasn't playing tricks on him, he had somehow gotten Kaidoh to laugh with him, once or twice. It made Inui realize how rarely they had the chance to just talk. He wished they had more time to.

Once at his house, Inui took Kaidoh to his room and immediately offered, "Would you like something to drink, Kaidoh?"

"Sure, thanks." And just before Inui made it out the door, the second-year added, "_Water, _senpai. Please."

Inui cracked a smile. "Alright, alright. I'll be right back." As he shut the door behind him, he could sense Kaidoh's great relief.

His mother caught him in the kitchen. "Who's that, Sadaharu?"

"Teammate," he replied simply, with his face hidden behind the refrigerator door. "I'm playing doubles with him on Saturday and we need to discuss our strategy."

"Okay, well, be nice," she said, eyeing the two glasses her son was preparing. "Don't give him any of that nasty stuff…"

"Don't worry, mother. This glass is for me." After quickly indicating the murky, purple mixture in his left hand, he left to go back to his room.

He opened the door to find Kaidoh standing in the dead center of the room, staring at the wall with his hands in his pockets. There was nothing on the wall. Obviously, he had been looking at something and looked away quickly when he heard the door opening, not wanting to be caught. The shelf of notebooks, maybe? It didn't matter, because there was nothing in the room that Inui could think of that he wanted to hide at this point. He handed Kaidoh the glass of water.

"Now, let's see…" Inui walked over to his shelf and traced his finger along the bindings of the notebooks, reading them. "The one we want might be in my bag, but I was pretty sure I put it back here…"

"I didn't realize you had quite this many notebooks, senpai," Kaidoh observed.

"I have a couple boxes more in my closet."

"How long have you been using these?"

"Since my freshman year." Inui studied his teammate's face. Kaidoh was wearing a strange frown.

"You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

Kaidoh looked up at Inui, who was smiling. Then he looked back down. "Senpai, I guess I just don't know… I mean, why… What would drive you to take _so many notes?_"

Kaidoh's voice was unusually soft, Inui noticed. In fact, he had never heard the second-year speak in such a voice… It almost didn't sound like him.

"You don't see the point," Inui ventured. Kaidoh nodded slowly, his eyes cast downward.

"I'm sure you know the story at least, Kaidoh," Inui began. "My data tennis started when I wanted to beat Tezuka." He fingered some of the notebooks, remembering. _TK, vol. 11, TK, vol. 27_… "His tennis has changed my tennis so much… I thought I would know more if I got finer details on him…"

"Because he was so good?"

The third-year smiled. "Right. Every player has their own playing styles and habits. You can tell how they hit, and where they will hit. Then I got interested in it and started collecting data. On everyone."

"But in the end," Kaidoh broke in. "You can't win with just data, right?"

Inui dropped his hand slowly, feeling his face slip into an expression one could almost say was melancholy. Before him flashed the dream he'd lost; the one that he had finally realized was too far to reach. The one that once thrived on the research held within these notebooks, but was, in the end, killed by them. Killed by the inevitable conclusion drawn from the hundreds of words and numbers he'd so carefully recorded. Because of it all, he could only see that he wasn't good enough. "That's where I'm at fault," he said quietly, trying to smile a little.

Kaidoh turned, looking like he really wanted to say something, but he didn't.

"But data won't lie. I can always count on that," Inui finished, pulling out one of the notebooks. Time to change the subject. "Here it is. Hyotei."

For a few moments, it was dead silent except for the sound of pages turning. Inui could feel Kaidoh's eyes resting on him, and he could hardly concentrate on trying to find where he had written notes on their soon-to-be opponents.

_Do you feel sorry for me, Kaidoh? Is that it?_

Inui was dying to ask him, wishing at least that he had the guts to look over at his teammate and face whatever look was in those eyes. But he was too afraid. More than anything, Inui was afraid to discover pity in those eyes. That would be more than he could bear.

_I can't have you looking down on me, Kaidoh… Not now…_

Inui forced himself to stop worrying.

_If we get to work, it doesn't matter._

He found the page and looked it over, trying to figure out where to begin. Kaidoh came up a little closer so he could see. And with a point from Inui's finger, they dove into pages of statistics.

…

Hours later, they were both sitting on the floor, still buried in the notebook. Inui felt that his brain was getting tired, and he could only imagine how Kaidoh felt, hearing all of this for the first time. But the second-year had been patient; he was trying his best to absorb and comprehend everything his senpai was telling him.

"So, you're saying that when I hit it to Mukahi-san here…" Kaidoh pointed and then rubbed his forehead. "He'll hit a cross-shot?"

"95 percent of the time."

"But on the other side…"

"That's a bit trickier… More likely that he'll hit it into the alley. But only about 62 percent of the time."

Kaidoh groaned. "Senpai, I'm never going to remember all of this…"

"You'd be surprised what kind of things you'll remember when you're out there on the court." Inui looked over at his teammate. He seemed very tired. "We can stop now, if you want…"

"I _know, _senpai," Kaidoh said, shaking his head. Inui knew that the second-year was tired of being asked if he wanted to quit every five minutes, but it was hard not to want to make sure. Inui was worried that he was pouring too much information into his teammate's tired brain. But every time he asked, Kaidoh would refuse to let his senpai close the notebook.

Kaidoh took a drink out of his fifth glass of water and took a deep breath. "What else was there, senpai?"

Inui sighed lightly and studied his notes. "Well, maybe we should discuss some general things to watch out for. I think I've said this already, but the biggest thing to avoid is getting trapped in a certain rhythm. If Oshitari takes over in the back, it's easy to forget about the front player. And that's when Mukahi can throw us off, is when we least—"

Inui stopped, aware of a sudden weight on his shoulder. He looked down. Kaidoh had fallen asleep.

Inui looked at his watch, shocked to find out that it was past ten. He hadn't thought it was quite _that_ late. Kaidoh had called his parents a couple hours earlier, saying that he wouldn't be home for a while, but he should probably be getting home soon anyway. It seemed that he could use a good night's sleep.

Looking back at his sleeping teammate, Inui really couldn't find the heart to wake him up. Kaidoh looked so different when he was sleeping; there was none of the normal tension in his body that was present when he was awake. He looked peaceful… Inui wondered if he was dreaming. And then he wondered _what _he could be dreaming…

_It's too bad, _Inui thought, _that my data can't predict people's dreams…_

As if automatically, Inui's hand reached up and started stroking Kaidoh's hair. It was silkier than he would have guessed, but he hadn't really thought about it. Somehow, he couldn't seem to stop running his fingers through the smooth, black strands.

Inui's eyes narrowed. What was happening to him? This wasn't normal. Inui Sadaharu didn't do things like this. He didn't stare at people while they slept, or stroke their hair… What was driving him to give into these odd urges? What was causing those urges in the first place?

What was causing all of these strange feelings he'd been having about Kaidoh?

…How _did _he feel about Kaidoh?

Inui couldn't believe he hadn't taken the time to figure this out before. Shouldn't something like that be obvious? It must have been. Of course he knew how he felt about Kaidoh. He… Well, they were…

Inui's thoughts stopped there. He became distracted by the soft flutter in Kaidoh's eyelashes, and by the slight movement of his lips, as if he was murmuring something. Inui smiled. He _was _dreaming.

The third-year stopped his hair-stroking when Kaidoh stirred a few minutes later. If he woke up, Inui did not want to be caught doing what he was doing. It was… awkward. Glancing at his watch again, Inui decided that he should probably wake Kaidoh up anyway.

"Kaidoh," he whispered into the second-year's ear.

"Mm?" Kaidoh replied, sitting up.

"Wake up. You need to go home."

After a few seconds of stretching, Kaidoh realized where he was. He stood up hurriedly, embarrassed and frazzled. "Inui-senpai! I'm sorry; did I…?"

Inui laughed, standing up slowly. "You fell asleep, Kaidoh."

"Oh, senpai… I am so sorry!" He bowed low. "I didn't mean to… I mean, it's not that… I…"

Still smiling, Inui put his hand on Kaidoh's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You just need sleep, is all."

Kaidoh looked at his watch, his cheeks still pink. "Right… I should go…" He started gathering his things. "Thank you for everything, senpai. I'll see you tomorrow." He rushed out the bedroom door.

"Should I be by at five again tomorrow so we can run?" Inui called down the hallway.

Kaidoh turned. "Y-yes! Yes, of course, senpai. I'll see you then…" He almost ran into the side of one wall, which just made him blush deeper.

Concerned, Inui asked, "Should I walk you home?"

"Walk me…?" Kaidoh blinked, then shook his head quickly. "No, I'm fine, senpai… See you."

Inui heard him hiss as he shut the front door, and the third-year couldn't help chuckling to himself. It was cruel, but Inui always felt better when Kaidoh was the one who was embarrassed. When the second-year was worried about how foolish he looked, Inui didn't have to worry about his own appearance. And it was easier to wear his usual, stoic mask when there was no pressure.

He adjusted his glasses and ducked back into his room to do some homework before going to bed.

…

"_I refuse!"_

Inui woke up to the sound of his own scream.

As he regained clarity, he realized that it was just his alarm clock. In the darkness, he stumbled out of bed to turn it off. He freed one of his ankles from his tangled blanket with hands that he tried not to notice were shaking. He didn't remember his nightmare; he didn't want to. All he wanted to do was slip back into his normal routine. In an effort to do so, he went to wash his face.

Inui looked up into the mirror and stopped. Two dark eyes were staring back at him. He was used to those eyes, even though no one else was. But this time he looked closer.

They looked… empty.

He could remember how he used to look in the mirror everyday before putting on his glasses when he was a seventh-grader. He would stand as tall as he could, determined to conquer whatever obstacles the day might bring. Then his eyes had glinted with emotion and determination. They were the eyes of a dreamer.

Now, they looked nothing like that. It was like staring into the screen of a computer that had been switched off long ago.

When had his eyes become so hollow?

Inui stood up a little, looking himself over. Now, he was everything he had hoped to be when he was twelve. Tall, muscular, intelligent, _intimidating…_ except for his eyes. They were dim. Weak, even…

They were the eyes of a quitter.

Inui made a fist. He wasn't a quitter. He may have thrown away some of his dreams, but he wasn't going to give up on life. And that was what was really important.

_Why don't you just give up?_

His eyes narrowed. Where had that voice come from? That was a part of him that should have never existed. Why _should _he give up? Life was not empty. And when he looked just a little closer into his eyes, he could see that they were not empty either. There was the glint of something there.

There was a reason why he got up every morning.

Suddenly, Inui remembered why he had gotten up so early this morning. He shot a look back at the clock. He would have to hurry, or he would keep Kaidoh waiting for him. He quickly got dressed, but on his way out the door, he stopped again. This time, it was the box of his 893 completed cranes that caught his eye.

His mind flashed back to the image of Kaidoh standing in the middle of the floor, staring at nothing on the opposite wall.

Had the second-year been looking at the box of cranes before he quickly looked away?

Inui's eyes widened. He had forgotten about that box. That was a part of him that he really didn't want anyone to see. And if Kaidoh had seen it…

He stopped himself. That was ridiculous. There was nothing strange about a box of cranes in someone's room… at least, not _really_. It was obvious what he was doing. Kaidoh might have been surprised that his senpai had _time _to fold so many cranes, but he would never really know anything about it.

Inui sauntered out the door with renewed confidence. Even if it was a little forced.

He reached Kaidoh's house on time, but not without jogging part of the way. Even despite his timeliness, though, he found the second-year sitting on the front steps of his porch, waiting. Kaidoh stood up as his senpai approached.

"Good morning, Kaidoh," Inui said confidently.

"Good morning, senpai," Kaidoh responded with his head slightly downward. Inui smiled at that. Perhaps he hadn't fully recovered from the previous night's embarrassment.

There was something awkward that passed in that split second that the two of them just stood looking at each other. Both of them brushed it off as quickly as it lasted.

In one smooth motion, Inui looked at his watch. "You know, I was thinking. If we want a bit more time, we could always drop our stuff off at the school as part of our run. If we shower in the locker rooms after training, we'll save about 17 minutes. And the extra weight we'll be carrying on the way there will build muscle."

Kaidoh seemed satisfied by that, and with a quick "Right" in response, he went to grab his bag. Then they set off for their morning jog.

When they reached the school, they found that the door to the clubhouse was locked. Inui winced. It seemed odd…

"What are you two doing here?" a voice came from behind them.

Inui and Kaidoh whirled around, frightened and probably looking very much they'd been caught doing something bad. Oishi was standing there, keys in hand. The vice captain wore an expression that betrayed that they were the last two people he had expected to see there, together.

"Just… dropping off our things." Inui adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "We had some training we wanted to do this morning…"

After a few more moments of looking a bit surprised and confused, Oishi smiled amiably. "Oh. Well, I apologize. It seems I'm a little late this morning with the keys. No one's ever come here so early, so I guess I've gotten used to coming later every day." As he was talking, he fiddled with the key until the door creaked open. "You two certainly are dedicated. See you at practice!" Oishi waved goodbye as he walked away.

Inui and Kaidoh exchanged looks of slight relief. Inui couldn't say _why_ he was relieved, but it felt like they had avoided something embarrassing. After a few uncomfortable chuckles, they ducked into the clubhouse to put their clothes and things in their lockers.

Because of the time they would save, they had a few minutes to do some stretching in the park. As he sat on the grass stretching his long legs, Inui looked up at the clear blue sky. Two black birds flew across his sight, high among the clouds.

In this moment, life was anything but empty.

Inui stopped stretching and turned to look at Kaidoh, whose back was facing towards him. _There_ was someone who knew what he wanted. Someone who would do anything for a dream. And more than anything, Inui wanted to help Kaidoh reach his goal.

_I could make him unstoppable, _he thought with a smile.

Inui made a mental note to calculate how long that might take. Then he stood up and walked over to where Kaidoh was stretching his legs.

"Here," Inui said simply as he began pushing against Kaidoh's back to help him stretch further.

Kaidoh looked up and blinked. Quickly comprehending, he went back to his stretching. "Thanks, senpai," he responded quietly.

After that, neither of them said anything for a while. Inui smiled at the silence. He couldn't keep from admitting it anymore. He _liked _Kaidoh. A lot. It was really no mystery why he had become so fond of the second-year. As he had told himself many times, Inui saw himself in Kaidoh. But more than that, there was a certain charm that came with Kaidoh's naïve determination. They were only a year apart in age, but to Inui, Kaidoh seemed like a little boy in so many ways. And like an elderly man, Inui looked at Kaidoh's strength of will with some regret, wishing he could go back to the days when it seemed like no obstacle was too large to overcome.

The reason for this strange difference in emotional age was simple: Inui's dreams had been crushed. Kaidoh's had not.

With his own pain still in mind, Inui vowed to himself that he would never see Kaidoh's dreams crushed. He wouldn't have to. The second-year had the strength to fulfill his dreams. But he would need help.

Inui pushed a little harder on Kaioh's back, sensing that the second-year wanted to be stretched a little further. Inui liked the feeling of his hands against Kaidoh's shoulder blades. The second year's back was warm and damp, and his muscles were tense from the slight pain that he was doubtlessly experiencing.

In an effort to stifle the strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, Inui spoke. "Tomorrow, take off the ankle weight on your left foot for half a day. You use your dominant foot too much. You're going to break down your muscle balance." Kaidoh said nothing, but the look in his eyes showed that he understood. He continued stretching. After a few more minutes, Inui lightly squeezed his shoulders to signal that they were done, and should head back.

Taking a shower in the locker rooms at school was convenient. They had even more time than Inui had planned on, so he felt that he could relax a little bit. The cool water felt pleasant against his heated skin. Feeling brave, Inui decided to make small talk.

"So, Kaidoh. Do you remember any of the information I gave you last night?"

Inui noted the sound of Kaidoh's soap bar hitting the floor. Apparently, he hadn't expected his senpai to speak. "Yeah… actually," the second-year responded after a moment. Then he laughed lightly. "I swear I was dreaming in charts and numbers."

Inui smiled. "Well, at least it wasn't a waste of time, then. With any luck, it will help when it comes to the actual match." He ran his fingers through his slick, wet hair. Suddenly, he felt something troubling him. "Say, Kaidoh…" he began softly. "Would you be upset… if we lost?"

As soon as he said that, he practically smacked himself in the forehead. First of all, that was a stupid question. Of course Kaidoh would be upset! And secondly, he shouldn't have even _suggested _that they might lose. They weren't going to, according to his data, and besides, talking about losing would not help them win.

Inui heard Kaidoh's water shut off after a short silence. "Senpai, we won't lose," the second year declared quietly.

"You can't say that for certain…" Inui offered cautiously, hearing Kaidoh rustle around in his tennis bag for his clothes.

"Yes, I can, senpai."

Inui was a bit perplexed at the second-year's unfaltering confidence. "How's that?"

Kaidoh said nothing for a moment. He zipped up his tennis bag, presumably because he had already finished changing. Then he spoke in a way that somehow made Inui stop breathing.

"Because… well, because it's _us. _It's me. It's _you. _We can't lose."

Inui fumbled for his glasses and poked his head out of the shower curtain, wanting to study Kaidoh's face. But the second-year was already halfway out the door, with his back to Inui. The third-year stood staring long after the door closed.

_Kaidoh…_

Inui turned back to turn off the water. With his hand still on the nozzle, he took a deep breath.

_You're right, Kaidoh. We won't lose._

_I promise._

-end of chapter 5-

* * *

_Author's Notes: _I really enjoyed writing this chapter, maybe a little too much. I wondered if some of it maybe came off as a little cheesy. Please tell me if you think so!

I like the image of Tezuka as the "evil genius" behind Seigaku. It seems to me that every action he takes is very carefully suited to what he wants to see happen. He cares about them all as a team and is determined to shape them into something amazing. At least, that's the way I see it.

Oh, and you'll be seeing a lot more of Oishi throughout the rest of the fic. Because he's sort of the doubles guru of Seigaku. He'll become an important influence later.

Wow, I am really surprised how long this fic is stretching itself out. By the end of this chapter, I had planned to be through Wednesday or Thursday. So far, we've only just started Tuesday. I've got a long way to go...

Hope you liked it! Tell me what you think! (All comments are appreciated.)

-TM


	6. Practice

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Prince of Tennis. So don't sue me. I'll cry.

**Warning: **This fic contains shounen-ai.

**Author's Notes: **Wow! I finished the chapter! And in a somewhat timely fashion! I'm just as surprised as y'all are. I had fun with this one. This one's for all the Golden Pair fans. I stuck them in there because they are the masters of HappyDependenceDoubles. And Inui and Kaidoh could use a few lessons. XD

Enjoy! Tell me what you think!

* * *

Inui found, once again, that he couldn't pay attention during class.

He gave up trying very quickly and focused on his thoughts instead. He thought about a lot of things: tennis in general, how practice would go that day, what training he would do after school, and the match against Hyotei that was soon to come. But all of these areas turned out to be little more than background for the real focus of his thoughts…

Kaidoh.

Inui tried to look like he was paying attention. He shifted his gaze towards the numbers in his math book. They swam before his eyes. None of them made sense anymore.

A lot of things didn't make seem to sense anymore, Inui mused, grinning to himself.

He thought about what Kaidoh had said that morning.

"…_because it's _us_."_

If only Inui had been able to see his face! He frowned. Maybe Kaidoh just had no other way to phrase what he wanted to say. But why had he placed so much weight on the word, "us"?

"_Us"… why is that such a strange word?_

"_We"… "Us"… "Our"…_

Inui turned these words over in his mind. Then he thought back to Oishi's "you two" that morning.

Then he realized he had a stupid smile on his face.

Before he could get rid of it, he heard the teacher say his name. "Inui."

He fumbled with his textbook as he stood, eventually causing it to drop to the floor. He didn't pick it up, but stood rigidly facing the teacher. "Y-yes?"

"Are you paying attention?"

Inui hesitated. "N… no." He bowed. "Excuse me, please, sensei. It won't happen again."

"It had better not." The instructor turned back to the board.

"_Someone_ was daydreaming," one of Inui's classmates remarked, causing him to blush. Staying clam, he shot a look at the offender, who was snickering.

_Daydreaming, huh?_

As he sat down, Inui looked out the window at the tennis courts.

_Maybe I was… "daydreaming"…_

He picked up his textbook from the floor and flipped to the correct page, resolving to at least _act _like a better student.

The rest of the day was somewhat uneventful, except for one thing. In the middle of tennis practice, Tezuka called the vice captain over. After a minute or so of discussion, the two of them signaled for Inui to join them.

"Yes?" Inui asked politely.

Oishi smilingly explained. "What would you say to a match against Eiji and me sometime soon?"

"A… match?" Inui repeated.

The vice captain nodded. "Tezuka thought it would be good practice for you and Kaidoh."

Inui looked to their captain, who explained, "It certainly wouldn't be wise for you to go into the match against Hyotei without ever having played doubles together. If you have the time, this would be great practice."

Inui nodded, cautiously agreeing. "It certainly would." He glanced over to where Kaidoh was hitting ground strokes against Momoshiro. On one hand, a match against the Golden Pair would be excellent practice, as Oishi and Tezuka were saying. But Inui was afraid of bringing Kaidoh into a match too early. Kaidoh was the kind of person who was most motivated when he wanted to show everyone what he could do. Undoubtedly, he would be eager for everyone to see what _they _could do as a doubles team. But that motivation would only come once. If he had already shown off before the match against Hyotei, doing well might not be so important to him then. This was all only a minor detail, but Inui thought it would be a good idea to save publicity until the actual match.

Inui turned back to Oishi and Tezuka. "Is there any way we could hold this match _after _practice hours?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.

The captain and vice captain glanced at each other for a moment. "It's up to you, Oishi. Can you and Kikumaru make that work?" Tezuka asked.

Oishi thought for a moment. "Not today. After practice, Eiji and I… we had something planned. But tomorrow night would be fine."

"Does that work for you, Inui?"

"I think so… I should probably ask Kaidoh, though. Kaidoh!" he called. As the second-year walked over to them, Inui mentally observed how odd it was that Oishi seemed to have Kikumaru's schedule memorized.

"Yes, senpai?"

"Are you free tomorrow night?"

"Yes. Why?"

"It seems that the Golden Pair is challenging us to a match."

As if sensing that he was being talked about, Kikumaru ran over to see what the meeting was. "Hey, Oishi! What's going on?"

"Hey, Eiji. How does a match against these two sound to you?"

Eiji smiled. "A match against Inui and Kaidoh-kun? They'll be playing second doubles on Saturday, right? Sounds like fun."

Something sparked in all four pairs of eyes as the two partnerships stood looking at each other. At this point, Inui honestly wasn't sure who would win. But he was determined to make it a good match.

Kaidoh was the first to speak. "Sorry, senpais. You're going down."

"You know, Eiji and I lost somewhat recently…" Oishi smirked a little.

"We're not going to lose again," Kikumaru finished, narrowing his blue eyes.

"We'll see about that." Inui pushed up his glasses, which glinted in the sunlight. "I think you might be disappointed."

"Now that that's settled," Tezuka broke in. "The four of you can return to practice."

With a few final looks, the two pairs turned and walked away in opposite directions. After Kaidoh let out a long hiss, Inui knew…

They were going to get in some excellent practice.

…

Wednesday went quickly. Inui did take some time in the morning to brief Kaidoh on some of the basic habits of the Golden Pair.

"We're lucky, because Oishi and Kikumaru play very similarly to Oshitari and Mukahi," he explained. "They play in distinct positions, with a definite front player and a definite rear guard."

Kaidoh didn't seem _extremely _interested, which was expected. After all, this was only a practice match. Kaidoh also mentioned that he didn't want to hear too much about the Golden Pair for fear he'd get their data mixed up with Hyotei's. Inui said that made sense, and ended the conversation, saying, "I'll tell you what to do."

Before Inui knew it, he was walking with Kaidoh back to the school after a little post-practice training. It was sunset, and the air was starting to become pleasantly cool. They walked in silence most of the way. But when they had almost reached the school, Kaidoh spoke.

"Senpai."

"Yes, Kaidoh?"

"Are we going to win this?"

Inui paused, taking a breath. He wasn't sure what he should tell Kaidoh. "I don't know," he decided finally. "I think so, but I can't say for certain. I just don't see why we wouldn't."

Kaidoh nodded. "Me neither."

This comment made Inui think of what Kaidoh had said the previous day. He stopped walking suddenly when they entered the school gates. Kaidoh took a few more paces before turning around. "What is it, senpai?"

"Kaidoh, I wanted to ask you…" He took a deep breath. "What you said yesterday… about us not being able to lose… What did you mean by that?"

Kaidoh's expression was very calm. But after a moment, he turned his eyes towards the ground. "I just meant that, you and I hate to lose." After a pause, he added, "And we're good enough to win. We've put too much work into this to lose, senpai."

"Oh," Inui said simply. Now he felt ashamed of himself. Of course that's what Kaidoh meant. It couldn't have been simpler or more obvious. Why had he wanted to think there was something more behind it?

"_Because it's _us_. It's me…_

"_It's _you_."_

Inui walked the rest of the distance to the courts in silence, about three steps behind his partner. When they reached the courts, they found that the Golden Pair had already turned the lights on. The two were rallying against each other, talking and laughing.

Looking at them like this, Oishi and Kikumaru hardly seemed intimidating. Kikumaru was giggling characteristically after tripping and missing a shot, and Oishi was reaching across the net to help him up, trying not to laugh too hard. Inui suddenly wondered why it seemed that doubles teams all across the Kanto region would shudder at their names.

Here was the legendary Golden Pair, laughing and playing like schoolchildren.

Oishi noticed Kaidoh and Inui's presence and jogged over to greet them with Kikumaru close behind.

"You guys are late," Kikumaru teased.

Oishi laughed and shook his head. "Don't be silly, Eiji. Actually, you guys are right on time. Do you need to warm up?"

Since they'd just been running, Inui shook his head. "I don't need to, at least. But I would like to set up a camera, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. While you do that, we'll warm Kaidoh up." With a hiss, the second-year obediently followed the vice captain and his partner.

Inui took his camcorder and set it up on a high tripod, carefully positioning the lens between the links in the chain fence. With any luck, no one would hit it. He looked at the video screen to make sure the shot overlooked the entire court. Through the screen, he saw Kaidoh running back and forth, trying to hold off both his senpais in a rally.

_That's just like him, _Inui thought with a smile. Then he pressed the "record" button and went to join his teammates.

Oishi explained the match at the net. "We're playing one set; you guys get to serve." He handed Inui three balls. "There's no referee, so we need to call our own shots. Oh! And Tezuka told me to tell you guys to just do your best, get in some good practice, and not worry about it. I'll tell him how it went when I see him next." They all shook hands formally. "We're ready when you are."

Inui pocketed two of the balls and took the last to the baseline. As he looked across the court, he remembered what it was that made the Golden Pair strike fear into their opponents. They glowed with confidence. Inui, on the other hand, felt very nervous without knowing why. He threw the ball into the air…

…

For the first tennis match in his life, Inui Sadaharu had no clue what happened.

Both he and his partner were on their knees on the court, having both dived in a vain effort to return the final shot. It finally hit him…

They had lost. Miserably.

Perhaps one would say it was silly to call a 6-4 match a miserable loss. But Inui knew that both he and Kaidoh had put in their best effort.

Something had gone horribly wrong.

The four teammates met at the net. Oishi and Kikumaru seemed very satisfied with their victory; not in an arrogant way, but actually very humbly, as if surprised at their own success.

"Good game, nya," Kikumaru declared cheerfully.

"It was a tough win," Oishi agreed, shaking Inui's hand. "You two will do great at the tournament."

It was an awkward moment, because Inui wasn't sure what to say. "You two… truly are Seigaku's Golden Pair."

In their eyes, Inui could see a soft glow of pride at that statement. With a quick goodbye, the Golden Pair packed up and started walking away together. That's when Kaidoh finally spoke.

"Senpai… what _happened?_"

"I don't know, Kaidoh." Inui sighed. "I'll have to watch the tape tonight." With that, he turned to retrieve his camera.

As he was fiddling with the tripod, he heard Kaidoh's voice but did not turn. It seemed that the second-year was talking on his cell phone. Inui was too preoccupied to listen.

_Why did it feel like we could get nothing past them? What makes them so great?_

Inui even started feeling a little jealous and angry. Kikumaru hardly ever practiced. Oishi was certainly dedicated, but not to the extent that Inui and Kaidoh were. And not only that, but those two weren't exactly the best individual players on the team. So why was it that hardly anyone could defeat them?

Inui's first conclusion was that they might have been doing some extra training that he didn't know about. But no… that didn't seem to make sense either. He would have noticed. Was it just their overwhelming confidence in each other?

By this time, Inui gave up trying to figure it out, as he had finished packing away his camera. It was pretty late, and time to get home. He walked over to where Kaidoh was putting his racket away.

"Should I walk home with you, Kaidoh, or will I just see you tomorrow?"

Kaidoh's reply was completely unexpected. "I'm spending the night at your house, senpai."

Inui blinked. _That was assertive. Where did _that_ come from?_

"What… what for, Kaidoh?"

The second-year looked up with eyes that were determined and honest. "I want to watch the tape with you, senpai. I just called my parents, and it's okay with them. Can I?"

Inui smiled from sheer surprise. "Well… certainly. In fact, that would help a lot… If you want to, that is." Kaidoh nodded.

Inui felt relieved. Somehow, the loss wouldn't be so painful if his partner was there to work through it with him.

They walked the first part of the way to Inui's house in silence. For lack of something better to talk about, Inui thought he'd pose the question that he'd been wrestling with just minutes before.

"That Golden Pair… I can never quite figure them out. What makes them such a good team, do you think?"

Kaidoh made a noise something like a sigh. "I'm sure _I _don't know. Why? You really have no idea, senpai?"

Inui looked down at his doubles partner. It seemed that the second-year was sure that his senpai musthave _some _sort of guess. Inui almost hated to let him down. He shrugged and replied, "Well, the only thing I could figure out was that perhaps they've been doing some training that I don't know about…"

Kaidoh quickly shook his head. "You would have noticed if that were true, wouldn't you have, senpai?"

"Well, that's what I thought. From what I can tell, they like to relax most of the time."

"They just spend every waking moment of their time together," Kaidoh scoffed.

For a moment, Inui didn't respond. It felt like there was something significant there, in that pause, but he couldn't put a finger on it. He looked up at the stars.

"Yes… They do, don't they?" he said finally, in a quiet tone. He wasn't really paying attention to his own words; the night sky held his gaze. The stars twinkled and taunted him, high above his head. Inui had never seen them so clearly, or at least, he'd never noticed. He never really took the time.

Inui could sense that Kaidoh was looking at him, so he tore his eyes away from the stars to look down at his companion. The second-year quickly looked away.

Inui sighed. They had reached his house, so he quickly finished the conversation, realizing that he had left it in a strange spot. "It probably helps the Golden Pair to be so used to each other." Kaidoh merely nodded as they went inside.

Once in Inui's room, the first question Kaidoh asked was, "Where do you want me to sleep, senpai?"

"Oh, you can sleep in my bed," Inui said offhandedly, already hooking up the camera to his TV.

"Where will you sleep?"

"In my… bed…" Inui trailed off and stopped. He quickly realized the flaw in his thinking. The last time the house had seen overnight company was nearly four years ago, when his cousin had visited. It had gone without saying that Inui's cousin, who was one year younger than he was, would sleep in his room, in his double-size bed, with him. And there had been nothing strange about it. But now, when he really thought about what he had just suggested, it made his face feel slightly hot.

"Never mind," he quickly sputtered. "I'll get some blankets; I can sleep on the floor…" He stood to go retrieve what he would need.

"No, senpai!" Kaidoh quickly protested, realizing that his question had caused an inconvenience. "I don't want to take your bed from you—"

"Kaidoh, it's _okay_," Inui insisted. He was trying to be polite, but it came out sounding like he was frustrated. He was still blushing. "I'm not making you sleep on the floor."

"Then I'll sleep with you!" Kaidoh blurted.

Both of their cheeks turned ten shades redder at the way that had come out. Kaidoh put a hand over his mouth and said behind it, "In your bed, I mean…"

"If you insist…" Inui conceded, pushing up his glasses. Then he turned back to setting up his camera, grateful for the excuse to hide his flushed face. "It's fine with me," he added. "Unless… you think it would be _weird_…"

"No! Of course not… why?... do _you?"_

"No, no… it's what I said originally, wasn't it?"

"Right."

"And there's nothing weird about it."

"Right."

Inui swallowed. No matter what he was saying to try and comfort himself about the idea, he couldn't get the temperature of his face to go down. He still couldn't look at Kaidoh. He could only pray that the second-year didn't notice the redness in his ears.

"Done," he declared when he had finished rewinding the tape. "Let's get ready for bed first. It'll be really late by the time we're done, and we probably won't feel like doing anything but sleeping."

Kaidoh agreed, and after showering and brushing their teeth quickly, they got comfortable on the bed and started watching the match. It was a tedious process. Inui took notes, every now and then pausing the tape to ask Kaidoh a question about how a shot had felt, or if he saw anything strange on the recording. Kaidoh made a few comments on his own, but these less and less frequent until they stopped altogether. By the time Inui noticed, it was obvious that the second-year had fallen asleep. He smiled and continued working.

The match had not been as large a disaster as it had seemed at the time. As Inui watched, he noticed that most of the flaws in their doubles strategy were fixing themselves. Mostly, he noticed that they had started relying on each other more. He had left more shots for his partner, and Kaidoh had started listening more for his senpai's instructions. By the end, their technique was pretty solid, and the Golden Pair was finding it harder to get any shots past them. There were a lot of long rallies.

When Inui finally switched off the television, he realized how beneficial the practice had been. They _would _do well in the tournament, as Oishi had said. Inui looked down at his sleeping partner and smiled softly.

_You trust me, don't you?_

He lightly touched Kaidoh's cheek. He couldn't explain why he felt so happy.

_Sweet dreams._

_-_end of chapter six-


	7. Tomorrow

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. Turns out I didn't getwhat I wantedfor my birthday.

**Warning: **This fanfic contains mild shounen-ai.

**Author's Note: **Sorry this one took so long. Hope it's worth it! Enjoy!

* * *

Inui woke up early with butterflies in his stomach. As soon as he was conscious enough to realize where he was, and who that warm presence was beside him, he sat up slowly and reached for his glasses. He looked at the clock. His alarm wouldn't go off for another seventeen minutes. 

It was dark in his room. He had thick curtains that didn't let much sunlight through. On this particular moment, he was grateful for that, because it seemed his doubles partner needed every minute of sleep that he could get.

Inui looked down at Kaidoh, who probably had not stirred for the past hour. The second-year showed no signs of dreaming; he was sleeping too soundly for that. Inui watched his slow, even breathing for a while and smiled. He lowered his head back down to his pillow and tucked his arm underneath. Something in him wished he could lie there forever.

He reached out, wanting to stroke Kaidoh's hair, but he drew his hand back quickly.

What was he doing?

With a sigh, he carefully got out of bed, deciding to make himself useful and whip up a quick breakfast. If he kept himself busy more often, maybe he wouldn't have time for these ridiculous urges to stare at Kaidoh for prolonged periods of time. He made a mental note of that theory for use later.

Once in the kitchen, Inui took out a frying pan and set to work. It wasn't often that he cooked breakfast like this. He always ate _something_, but it was rarely more than cereal or a granola bar. He didn't have time to cook himself, and he got up too early for his mother to do it for him. This morning, though, it seemed appropriate to make a _real _breakfast. He had a guest, after all.

As he was thinking about this and watching the eggs fry, Inui heard a faint beeping noise. In a panicked rush, he ran back to his bedroom. He had forgotten to turn his alarm off.

He burst into the room and, nearly tripping over the corner of his bed, ran to put an end to the annoying sound. Sure enough, when he turned to look at his guest, he discovered that the second-year was awake and rubbing his eyes.

"Senpai? What time is it?"

Not resisting a smile, Inui walked over and put his hand on Kaidoh's shoulder. "4:30. Sleep for a few more minutes. I'll tell you when breakfast is ready."

"Breakfast?" Kaidoh repeated groggily. After a short debate with himself, Inui squeezed the second-year's shoulder and silently left the room.

While he was finishing his task, Inui's mind wandered to the previous night's match. He remembered watching the Golden Pair leave the court, standing tall, walking in perfect rhythm. And he remembered how that felt, to watch such an amazing pair of people walk away. When he thought about it, he realized that he had experienced the same sensations when he'd looked up at the stars on the way home.

That's what they were. Stars. They seemed to have reached unattainable heights. Inui couldn't help wondering if it was lonely up there, where no one could reach them. But he supposed it couldn't be, since Oishi and Kikumaru had each other. They weren't just stars, Inui thought with a silent chuckle. They were a binary system.

He had never thought of the Golden Pair this way, or seen them as something he might aspire to be. But since they had left him and Kaidoh defeated on the tennis court, since he had seen them stride away together, each with an arm around the other…

Inui's eyes narrowed. Wait… had they had their arms around each other? Or had he just imagined it? Dreamed it, maybe?…

"Senpai?" came a voice from behind him somewhere.

Inui turned to face his visitor. "Kaidoh… I told you I'd come get you."

"I didn't want to go back to sleep because I knew I'd wake up even more tired." After looking around a bit, he added, "Looks like you've made quite a meal, senpai."

Inui felt a tingle in his cheeks as if he were about to blush. Suddenly, any explanation he'd had originally to answer Kaidoh's inquisitive observation seemed invalid. "Yes… Well, it's almost ready. You can sit down."

The second-year quietly obeyed, and Inui finished up quickly. After the third-year dished out the food and sat down, it was silent for a while. It remained so until Inui casually asked, "So, what would you like to do today?"

"Huh?" Kaidoh looked up quickly, as though he had been lost in thought. "What do you mean?"

"Training. Is there anything in particular you'd like to work on before Saturday?"

"Oh…" Kaidoh looked down at his plate, swirling his fork in his eggs. "Whatever you think… I guess. I'm sure you have plenty of ideas after watching that tape."

"Actually, no." Inui pushed up his glasses with a slight smile. "I think that match was a good enough learning experience in and of itself."

Kaidoh studied his senpai's face with his head cocked to one side. He looked skeptical. "How's that, exactly?"

Inui hesitated, not sure he would be able to put his thoughts into words. "Well, I think we just… got the hang of it. While I was watching that tape, by the end of it I saw…" He paused and looked meaningfully into his partner's eyes.

"We looked like a _team_, Kaidoh."

Kaidoh looked to the side for one moment, then returned Inui's stare.

"We _are _a team, senpai."

As soon as he finished saying it, Kaidoh stood up and took his plate to the sink, leaving Inui slightly dumbfounded. But he was satisfied with the response. It felt like a good place to leave the subject. He looked at his watch.

"I guess all we really have time for is a good run," he stated simply, coming up beside Kaidoh.

"The same route we've been taking, senpai?"

"Yes. Why?"

Kaidoh looked down. "Well, we've been taking the same route every single day."

"You'd like to try a different one?" Inui felt like he was missing something. The subject didn't seem like something Kaidoh would even pay attention to.

The second-year gazed out the window above the sink. The sun was just rising. "Tomorrow?" he suggested.

"Sure. Where would you like to go?"

"I'll show you, senpai. But… could you be at my house by four?"

"Certainly." Inui couldn't help wondering what Kaidoh had in mind. After a moment's pondering with no results, he looked at his watch again and said, "Well, we should get dressed and get going."

Kaidoh nodded and followed him down the hall.

…

Inui had a hard time concentrating throughout the rest of the day, even during practice. He spent a lot of time in thought. A myriad of things were weighing on his mind: what Kaidoh had said that morning, last night's match, and the match that was coming up in just two days. Because of these distractions, he was surprised when he caught a bit of someone else's conversation while he was waiting for Kaidoh outside the clubhouse.

Tezuka and Oishi were around the corner, discussing something. Inui felt bad listening in on their private conference, but he found himself doing it anyway. Perhaps he had started to listen when he heard his name.

"Did Inui actually say that?" the captain was asking.

"No, he didn't say anything. But don't you think he would have told you if he felt otherwise?"

"Yes, but what do _you_ think?"

"I think they'll be fine."

Inui was quickly piecing it together. It seemed that Oishi had briefed their captain on the secret match they'd held. Tezuka was wondering if Seigaku's second doubles needed more practice. But what puzzled Inui was how Oishi seemed to instinctively know that they didn't.

"You're absolutely positive, Oishi?" Tezuka probed. "We need a strong team in second doubles. It would be just as easy to make them practice more, or even put a different pair in their place…"

Inui bristled. Another pair? He felt his heart beat a little faster in a sort of panic.

"I'm absolutely sure, Tezuka. Have a little faith. It's not like Eiji and I went easy on them."

"True… but…"

"But what?"

There was a pause and a sigh. "I guess I was just never comfortable with this in the first place. I don't think Kaidoh is made for playing doubles."

"But he _listens _to Inui."

Inui felt himself blush at the measure of faith the vice captain had in him. He started to relax a little. He was in good hands.

"Trust me, Tezuka," Oishi was saying, softly but earnestly. "They're the best team for the job. They've got it." There was another pause. "You're just worried about the match in general, aren't you?"

"How do you always seem to know what I'm thinking?"

"But why?"

"Oishi… I've got a very bad feeling about this match against Hyotei. That's all."

"The team will come through for you, I promise. We're all behind you… Captain."

"Thank you, Oishi."

"Where are you going?"

"I have to get home. See you tomorrow."

"See you."

Inui ducked into the locker room to avoid being seen by Oishi, who was no doubt coming around the corner. Inside, Kaidoh was still working on putting new grip tape on his racket. He looked up when his senpai entered the room.

"Is something wrong, senpai?"

"Huh? No. Why?"

"Your face is red."

Inui's cheeks turned redder. They must have been flushed from his embarrassment about eavesdropping. He couldn't think of a plausible lie, so he changed the subject. "Um… Kaidoh, are you sure you should be putting new grip tape on your racket so soon before the match? You won't have time to get used to it…"

"It's the same tape I always use, senpai."

"Yes, but it's not as worn… Never mind." Inui trailed off, feeling his face getting even hotter. He sat down next to Kaidoh, trying to mentally catch his breath and sort out his thoughts. Something in the conversation he'd just heard was disturbing him.

"_I don't think Kaidoh is made for playing doubles."_

Inui rubbed his forehead, trying not to glance conspicuously at his partner. Kaidoh _wasn't _made for doubles. He was… a free spirit. Happiest when he was standing alone.

"_But he _listens _to Inui."_

It didn't make sense. It didn't make sense at all. Logically, Tezuka was right. The captain's conclusion matched the data perfectly. But it didn't match the actual outcome. Which is why Inui had to wonder… had he misread the evidence?

"Kaidoh," he blurted suddenly without facing his teammate.

"What?" The second-year stopped what he was doing.

"Do you trust me?"

There was a pause, then a sigh. "Yeah. Why, senpai?"

Inui didn't respond, simply because he didn't know the answer. Kaidoh asked again.

"Why do you keep asking questions like that? Senpai, you're—"

Kaidoh had stopped short when Inui turned to face him. It was then that they both realized how close they were sitting.

It was one of those moments that made Inui cringe to think about later. Like an idiot, he just stared. But at the time, he had no reason to stop. He was locked in Kaidoh's gaze. And all he wanted to do was stare into those eyes. They had a hint of deep, bluish turquoise in them… Inui was shocked to realize he hadn't known that by now…

Inui swallowed. They really were sitting very close. There was only a space of 12.7 centimeters between the tips of their noses, and that was including the height difference. The third-year's eyes drifted downward to settle on Kaidoh's slightly parted lips. If he leaned over just a little, he could kiss—

Inui was on his feet in less than half a second. Pushing up his glasses, he attempted a smile and said, "Well. Shall we start our run?"

Kaidoh seemed more than happy to follow him out the door.

…

The next morning, Inui was at Kaidoh's house at four o'clock sharp, as planned. It had been a little harder to get out of bed than usual, but Inui was too curious to pass up this opportunity. He found his doubles partner waiting for him.

"Where are we going, Kaidoh?" Inui asked.

"You'll see, senpai," the second-year answered nonchalantly.

"Is it a longer route we're taking?"

"Maybe a little." Kaidoh looked up at the few stars that remained in the brightening sky. "Let's just take our stuff. We're not going by school."

Inui nodded. He quickly shortened the shoulder straps on his tennis bag, and then took off running after Kaidoh.

The morning was a little chilly, but Inui could tell it was going to be a lovely day. He glanced up. In front of him, just beyond Kaidoh, was the morning star, low in the sky, shining its brightest. It wasn't a star, of course; it was Venus. But somehow, this morning, it seemed more appropriate to see it as a star.

Where were they going?

After they had run the distance they were used to, Inui figured that they must be near the end. Kaidoh suddenly darted ahead.

"Hurry up, senpai!" he called back, sounding strangely exhilarated. As Inui came up over the top of the hill, he found out why.

The sunrise.

They were standing at the edge of a cliff, right in front of the ocean. The sun was just coming up over the horizon, spilling all its sparkling diamond glory on the water. There was a split in the clouds, as if they were bowing to the bright lord of the sky. The heavens were glowing in pastel colors, and the morning star faded away in the day's new light.

If Inui hadn't already felt breathless from running, his breath would still have been stolen away. He turned to look at his companion, who was waiting and catching his breath, anxious for a reaction from his senpai. It seemed that Kaidoh found what he was looking for in Inui's expression. He looked out towards the ocean with a softly glowing smile.

"I really like coming here," the second-year was saying. "When I stand here like this and look, I feel like I could conquer the world."

Inui watched as Kaidoh stood a few inches taller, taking it all in. He'd never imagined Kaidoh saying something like that. Inui couldn't take his eyes off the second-year.

Kaidoh had shared with him a part of himself that no one else ever saw.

Inui found himself doing something strange. He laughed aloud. He couldn't help it.

He was so _happy_.

Predictably, Kaidoh gave him a strange look. He seemed almost hurt. "Senpai, what's so funny?"

Inui pushed up his glasses and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to stop laughing. Suddenly he was afraid he might cry, too. "I'm sorry, Kaidoh… It's just…" He took a breath and looked out again at the sunrise. "It really is… breathtaking… isn't it?"

Kaidoh glanced back as if he'd forgotten. Inui came up closer and put his hand on the second-year's shoulder, smiling. Kaidoh looked up, smiled back, and reached up to place his own hand on Inui's shoulder. Then they turned back to face the rising sun, together.

…

Since they had come so early, they had time to do a little stretching and some other things at a nearby park. Among those other things, for Inui, was some thinking. The situation was slowly becoming more real.

The match was _tomorrow_.

With that thought, Inui felt sad, which was a feeling he would not have expected. He was excited for the match, yes, but… suddenly, he realized that it would all be over before he knew it. Weeks of preparation, and it would all be over by Sunday.

Now a new, even more depressing thought occurred to him…

He might never have another chance to play doubles with Kaidoh again.

Inui glanced at his partner. If Kaidoh mastered his Boomerang Snake in this match, he wouldn't want to play doubles at all anymore. That was, after all, the only reason he was doing this in the first place.

Feeling the third-year's eyes on him, Kaidoh turned to see why this was. Inui quickly hid his face with his notebook.

It was time to put the sad thoughts aside, Inui told himself. Time to focus on the task at hand, and be excited, not depressed. It would be an awesome match tomorrow. The rest was not important. To distract himself, he read the page he had happened to turn to. It was a couple of calculations he had made the night before, about Kaidoh…

His eyes focused on the words.

Seven years.

Inui set the notebook aside and took a drink out of his water bottle. If he were more like Seigaku's vice captain, now would be the time for a motivational speech. But Inui knew that, unlike Oishi, he was not a very inspirational speaker. Still, he thought he should say _something_. There was so much he wanted to say to his partner, and this was possibly his last chance.

"Kaidoh…"

The second-year stopped what he was doing and looked up. Inui wasn't quite sure how to begin.

"Kaidoh… Do you think data tennis is weak?"

It seemed a random question, Inui knew. But a few thoughts were forming in his head. Kaidoh turned away and responded, "At least… I can't do it."

With a last glance down at his notebook, Inui took a deep breath and prepared himself to reveal another one of his secrets. "Kaidoh…" he repeated again. "In seven years, you will go undefeated."

Kaidoh made a small, surprised noise, then looked to the side, letting this information settle in. Most likely, he was wondering how Inui could know something like that. The third-year gave him a half-smile. "Is that weird?"

Kaidoh gave no response. Inui continued, "But right now, you won't hold another seven years." Here, Kaidoh turned and looked up.

"There'll be a time when you reach your body's limit. Because of that, you should improve your techniques more." Thinking of Momoshiro, the third-year added, "Even if just a little, in order to stay on the court. Even if just a little, in order to increase your chance of winning…" He laid his hand on his notebook, looking at it. "For that, in my case, my technique is data…"

Inui looked back up. His thoughts may have been coming out slightly disjointed, but Kaidoh seemed to understand. The second-year looked concentrated and determined.

"Kaidoh…" Inui smiled, encouraged by the fire in his partner's eyes. "Let's do it!"

Understanding, the second-year smiled back, gazing meaningfully into Inui's eyes. "Right!" he said after a short pause.

For the rest of the morning, neither of them said anything more. Nothing more needed to be said. It seemed that they could read each other's minds. At last, they were on the same page. They were sharing the same thoughts, the same feelings. And now Inui could be nothing but excited.

* * *

-end of chapter 7-

Hope you liked it! I had fun writing this one. Next chapter: THE HYOTEI MATCH! (finally!)

Thanks once again to all my reviewers and my editor. Luv you guys! (blows kiss)


	8. Adjustments

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Prince of Tennis or any characters. But as soon as they go on auction,notify me. XD

**Warning:** This fic contains mild shounen-ai.

**Author's Notes: **I know, I KNOW this one took forever. I'm so sorry! My life has been insane and crazy and I've loved every minute of it. But I had to put this on hold for a bit... But now I'm back! And I hope to finish before my summer's over. I've enjoyed writing this but I'm kind of ready to be done with it. XD Anyways, enjoy! And keep reading... the end is near...

* * *

Saturday came in a hurry. Inui met Kaidoh at his house early that morning.

"Well, Kaidoh… This is it," was all he said. The second-year nodded in reply, and they walked all the way to the bus stop without saying anything. Through the silence, Inui could feel their shared anticipation begin to rise.

Today was the day.

The two of them arrived at the tennis center with plenty of time. Only Tezuka, Coach Ryuzaki, her granddaughter, and Fuji were there already. Ryuzaki-sensei had told the team to be there twenty minutes early, but right now, it was more than a half-hour before they had to register.

There was plenty of time.

Slowly, each member of the team began to show up. Kawamura… Kikumaru… Echizen… even Momoshiro showed up pretty early. Inui kept watching the clock, though. It was getting a little late, especially considering the timely nature of the one person who was missing…

At about 12 minutes until the hour, Inui couldn't help voicing what they had all been thinking. "He's late… Oishi…"

"Is he lost or something?" Kikumaru quickly put in, looking very casual with his hands resting behind his head. Inui knew that the acrobat made jokes like that when he was nervous, but he couldn't help feeling like Kikumaru should try to act a little more concerned.

"That can't be it," Inui responded seriously, hiding his agitation. "Since the tournament was held here last year, too…"

"Could he be helping some pregnant woman about to give birth?" Now Echizen was making jokes. Inui clenched his fist and turned back to the clock, ignoring the jest behind him.

"That's the excuse _you_ used last time!"

"Kikumaru-senpai! That hurts."

"But he really is late," Momo cut in. "Oishi-senpai…"

At least someone was taking this as seriously as Inui was. Unfortunately, Kikumaru felt the need to put an end to _that_. He walked right up to Momo and joked, "Worst-case scenario, we'll use a dummy…"

"A dummy? Oh…"

While they proceeded to attack a defenseless freshman, Inui opened up his notebook to study some of his figures. But it was hard to concentrate. If the vice captain didn't make it, what would they do? Any change made to the list would ruin the entire set-up.

His thoughts (and everyone else's) were interrupted by a ring from the coach's cell phone. The tension rose as they all turned to listen.

"Oh, Oishi. Where are you right now?... Oh…. Mm-hmm… _What? _You're at a nearby hospital because you're helping a pregnant woman about to give birth?"

Echizen nearly choked on his soda. Everyone else was just as shocked. Inui mentally did some calculations and decided that the chances of this happening exactly as it did were about 2 percent. Apparently, the odds had been against them.

"Since it's Oishi, it shouldn't be a lie," Taka noted, and Fuji agreed. Inui also silently nodded. The odds of _that _were, frankly, 0 percent.

The phone conversation continued. "You can't leave the pregnant woman because she's really helpless?"

Some second-year randomly observed, "This is seriously bad… If we don't register in ten minutes, we'll be disqualified!"

With that, tensions rose even higher. Disqualification… Inui wouldn't stand for that. He knew Tezuka and the rest of the team wouldn't stand for that either. He quickly tried to work out something on paper, but he could hardly think.

His plans were interrupted by Momoshiro's impulsive idea. "Obasan! There's still ten minutes left—I'll go to the hospital instead. If I hurry, we should be able to make it!"

The coach nodded and went back to her phone. "Oishi, where is this?"

Watching Momo run off with Seigaku's fate in his hands was hardly a comfort for Inui. The chances of the second-year making it in time were 83 percent. That sounded good, but still, that 17 percent worried him greatly. There was so much that could go wrong…

The third-year turned to his doubles partner. Kaidoh seemed just as anxious.

"That idiot better make it," he hissed.

Tezuka abruptly addressed the team. "He'll make it," he said simply, but Inui could see the tension in the captain's muscles. "Everyone, go warm up!"

The team promptly obeyed. Inui and Kaidoh found an empty court and hit against each other until Coach Ryuzaki's phone rung a second time just a few minutes later.

"Hello?... Oishi! Momo's on his way... Sorry for _what?_... Your wrist is hurt?... I see…"

"Let me talk to him." Tezuka quickly took the phone from the tennis coach. "Oishi, can you play?... I see. Well, what do you think we should do?... Yes… Is that what you want, Oishi?... Yes, I think so too… Inui? I'll ask him." Tezuka waved the former manager over.

"What happened, Tezuka?" Inui couldn't help asking.

"It seems Oishi has injured his right wrist, so he can't play today. He wants Momoshiro to take his place as Kikumaru's partner. What do you think?"

Inui's mind was reeling. "What do I think? I think Momoshiro… and Kikumaru…" He rubbed his forehead. "It could work, but… they're playing first doubles… It seems a little—"

"Senpai." Kaidoh came up beside him. "_We _could."

One look from his partner's blazing eyes told Inui exactly what to do. Everything became clear in an instant. "You think we can, Kaidoh?"

The second-year nodded. "Yes, senpai. We can."

Inui turned to the captain. "I think we should put Momoshiro and Kikumaru in the second doubles spot. Kaidoh and I will move up to play first doubles."

Tezuka nodded. "I think that's the best we can do in this situation." He took his hand off the receiver. "Oishi. Momoshiro will be Kikumaru's partner, in the second doubles slot. Inui and Kaidoh have offered to take first… Yes. Good. Just get here when you can." The captain handed the phone back to Ryuzaki-sensei.

Kikumaru ran up suddenly, looking very confused. "Was that Oishi? What's going on?"

Tezuka crossed his arms and looked the acrobat straight in the eye. "Listen. Kikumaru."

"Huh? What?"

"We just heard from Oishi at the hospital. He got in an accident on his way here. It seems that he's injured his right hand… Oishi won't be able to play today. Momoshiro will play doubles two with you instead." Tezuka took a deep breath. "Since it's sudden… We're counting on you, Kikumaru."

The redhead pursed his lips together and stared downward, looking both very serious and very nervous. The captain then turned to Inui.

"We're counting on you two as well." He gave a nod, and then a final command. "Everyone, back to warm-ups!"

Kaidoh grabbed Inui's arm. "Senpai… what data do you have on the pair we'll be playing?"

The gravity of the situation became clearer in Inui's mind. "Not enough. I only gathered enough to give some good advice… I'll give you what I have, but—"

"Senpai…" Kaidoh squeezed harder, looking up at him with intense eyes. "We can do this."

Inui stood up straighter. How had Kaidoh known exactly what he needed to hear? The third-year took a deep breath, thinking a moment. "You're right. Remember that backup plan I told you about?"

"The one for gathering more data, in case something had changed?"

"That's the one. It seems that's the only strategy we've got now."

The second-year nodded. "It'll work, senpai."

Inui wasn't so sure, though he was encouraged by Kaidoh's certainty. "It will require a lot more from you than I had originally planned, and I'm not sure—"

"I can do it," Kaidoh retorted confidently.

Inui nodded. "Alright then. We won't resort to that right away, though… We might be able to beat them without that. In any case, we should try to get a feel for the situation before we try something like that."

Kaidoh nodded, and they returned to the courts.

…

Momoshiro arrived just in time. In reality, Seigaku actually registered about 27 seconds late according to the official clock, but the tournament officials weren't about to kick out such a high-ranked school over a difference of a few seconds.

With that problem out of the way, the team was able to focus on the bigger challenge: facing Hyotei.

Seeing the other team walk by was nerve-wracking. Hyotei's confident air sent a shiver down every spine in the Seigaku regulars. No doubt _they_ had registered a half an hour early. They were relaxed, but ready. Hardly any of them even spared a glance in Seigaku's direction.

There was a lot of waiting time between registration and the actual match. But for Inui, it went by in a blur. There were too many things on his mind.

First doubles.

Never in a million years would he have expected to play first doubles. For the first time in a long while, Inui was second-guessing himself. Maybe they should have stayed in the second doubles slot… They could win that at least. First doubles would be a throw-away game, but at least they would have that one win…

But it was too late for that now. The decision had been made, and even if it hadn't been… There was no going back. At least, Inui knew, his partner wouldn't stand for it. Kaidoh was very particular about his honor, and he would never be willing to back down. Giving a game away was cowardly. The teams had to be placed correctly according to their skill. And Kaidoh wasn't the only one who thought so. Tezuka felt the same way.

Not everyone was as satisfied with the lineup. Echizen started sulking as soon as he saw the list. That was to be expected. It did seem a little unfair though, since Momoshiro had been allowed to play even though he was not a regular. But Tezuka cleared up the matter for Echizen perfectly…

"There's no way we can let you play doubles. That is all."

For Inui, it was good to have that fact reaffirmed. They had made the right decision. As the morning progressed, Inui believed it more and more. Momoshiro seemed ready. He had taken command of the situation, and it was clear that he wanted to prove that he was the right man for the job.

Whatever Oishi had said to him at the hospital had really made a difference.

It seemed like no time before they were at the courts and getting ready for the second doubles match. Seigaku watched nervously as Kikumaru and Momoshiro stepped onto the court and faced their opponents.

The match was hard to watch.

Momo and Kikumaru had good chemistry as a pair, which, as Inui told Fuji, was "a wonderful miscalculation" on his part. But Mukahi and Oshitari had seen better. In this game, Seigaku was clearly outmatched in skill.

Not only that, but Kikumaru simply wasn't playing well. At least, not compared to the way he played when he was paired with Oishi. Inui was beginning to see something he couldn't quite describe or explain.

Something hadn't "clicked."

The more he watched, the more he saw that this was the only problem. He started watching Hyotei's pair more closely. They were good. There was no flaw in their strategy. Their technique and style was like the Golden Pair's, but better. However, there was one thing that surprised Inui.

They were nothing like the Golden Pair at all.

It made no sense. Logically, they were exactly like Oishi and Kikumaru, except for their slight upper hand in skill. But Inui couldn't help getting the feeling that the Golden Pair could beat them without much trouble.

His theory was confirmed when the game turned suddenly. Kikumaru and Momoshiro attempted the Australian Formation, which was, of course, suicide. Somehow, though, they pulled it off. And from there, the rest of the match seemed easy. It really was like watching the Golden Pair play. Inui was reminded of his own match against Oishi and Kikumaru. The pair that would have won in two singles matches was losing in doubles. Hyotei's pair was missing something. They were so good that they had never needed it before. Now, however, the hole was starting to show.

Inui started to worry that he and Kaidoh would end up with the same problem. Wasn't that why they had lost against Oishi and Kikumaru? Still, the vice captain had expressed great confidence in them. "They've got it," he had told Tezuka. Now Inui wondered exactly what the "it" was that they had gotten.

Kaidoh was absent throughout the entire match. Inui knew the second-year was getting ready in his own way. Probably stretching, maybe running… he would be back before their match started. But Inui felt a little alone as he watched doubles two play itself out.

There were two more important things Inui noticed while he watched. First, Kikumaru was really taking control. The acrobat had all but taken Oishi's spot in the game, and it almost worked out better that both he and Momoshiro were such great net players. It made them more interchangeable, and not so dependent on their positions.

The second thing Inui noticed carried much more weight. He had underestimated Momoshiro Takeshi. Inui had always assumed that Kaidoh was the better and more dedicated player of the two. But Momoshiro was starting to look like he had it all. He had Kawamura's power, Kikumaru's jumping ability, Oishi's control, and (most surprisingly) Inui's analytical mind. From the little advice that the vice captain most likely had given him, Momo was able to predict almost every single shot that his opponents hit. And he was able, in that split second, to decide what shot would work best in each circumstance.

Inui now saw what had made Momoshiro and Kaidoh so successful in the St. Rudolph match. Maybe if he worked with them…

"Game and Match- Seigaku! Six games to Four."

It was over. Seigaku's tennis club gave a sigh of relief and a cheer. They had one game on the board.

The relief was short-lived in Inui's case. Seconds later, his palms were sweating again. Kikumaru and Momoshiro had done their job. Now, it was time for him and Kaidoh to do theirs.

Where was Kaidoh?

After taking a minute to congratulate the winners along with the rest of the team, Inui went to go look for his partner. There was no big rush; there were still about 10 minutes until they had to start. As he was looking, the third-year considered the circumstances. It was great that Seigaku had won doubles two, but for the next match, it might not work in their favor. The crowd from Seigaku would be excited, and that was good, but would they expect too much? Would the crowd's cocky attitudes possibly stifle Kaidoh's fighting spirit?

Inui found his partner stretching under the shade of a tree. Thin streams of sunlight reflected off the droplets of perspiration on Kaidoh's skin.

"Have you been running, Kaidoh?" Inui sat down next to him.

"Yes, senpai." The second-year continued stretching.

"You didn't wear yourself out before the match, did you?"

"No, senpai."

"Good. We need that stamina of yours." After a moment, he added simply, "They won."

Kaidoh stopped but continued to look straight ahead, taking this in. Inui gathered that the second-year did not want this information to affect him too much. "Senpai, what do I need to know about our opponents?"

Inui turned to a certain page in his notebook and handed it to Kaidoh. "You want to see? That's all I have."

"Just this page?"

"Yes."

Kaidoh silently looked it over.

"I suspect, though," Inui began, a moment later. "They'll really want to win this one. Shishido was kicked off the regulars for losing to Tachibana of Fudomine, and I'm sure he'll be out for good if he loses today. They won't let us have it easily."

The second-year handed back his senpai's notebook. "Just tell me what to do."

Inui merely nodded his head. It was silent for a while, except for the light breeze. The third-year simply didn't know what to say. Yet, once again, he felt that he really wanted to say _something._

"Kaidoh…"

It seemed that the silence had been bothering both of them, because at the exact moment Inui started to speak, Kaidoh grabbed his senpai's wrist to look at his hand.

"Senpai… your palm's sweaty." Kaidoh looked straight into his eyes. "You're nervous."

It was an easy observation. It was such a simple thing, but it made Inui sweat even more to realize that his partner had noticed that much. Even more than that, Kaidoh still had Inui's wrist in his grasp, and was also rubbing his thumb against the palm of his sweating hand. Inui couldn't break eye contact.

He felt four feet tall.

"Yes," he responded simply, trying not to give away his discomfort. "I'm not sure why. I don't usually get nervous like this."

Inui's matter-of-fact tone seemed to have satisfied the second-year. He stood up and started stretching his legs. As soon as Kaidoh had let go, Inui sort of wished he hadn't. The third-year inconspicuously fingered his own palm and stared at it a moment before clenching it into a fist and standing up.

"Are you ready, Kaidoh?"

The second-year let out a slow, deep breath. "One more lap around the courts."

Inui looked at his watch, then shrugged. "I suppose that would be alright. Suit yourself, then."

Kaidoh took off running. Inui watched him go. As he did so, he could only wish that Kaidoh would feel as proud walking onto that court with him as he would with Kaidoh.

Inui sat down again. He ripped a page out of his notebook, then carefully ripped it again to make it into a square. With shaking, sweating hands, he folded a paper crane.

…

When Inui returned to the court, everything was pretty quiet. Kaidoh wasn't there yet, so instead of getting ready, Inui joined his teammates at the bottom of the steps. Kawamura was the first to notice his presence.

"Ah, Inui! You're here. We were starting to get—"

The power player's voice was suddenly drowned out by the loud cheers of Hyotei's tennis club. Inui stared across the court to the opposite side. It seemed that one of his soon-to-be opponents, Shishido, had gotten the club started again.

Inui resisted smiling. Shishido was making perhaps a fatal mistake.

The third-year looked up behind him to see Kaidoh coming down the steps.

_Speak of the devil._

Inui turned back to look across the court at Hyotei's cheering crowd. His teammates discussed the situation.

"That guy with the cap… Shishido, huh?" Eiji was staring in awe. "After he played Tachibana, since he didn't play in the consolation match…" He trailed off.

Fuji finished the thought. "Yeah. I thought he was dropped from the regulars totally."

Inui chose not to say anything. Instead, he shot a glance at Tezuka. The stoic captain also stayed silent.

"Hyotei! Hyotei! Hyotei! Hyotei!..."

Inui's heartbeats began to match the rhythm and growing intensity of the other side's cheers. There was no turning back now… The game had already begun.

He stepped over the bench behind him to retrieve his racket from his bag. Kaidoh was standing right next to him, doing the same. Inui could sense the second-year's determination. His mind drifted back to that day in the embankment, a week before…

"_Kaidoh…_

"_Want to team up with me in doubles?"_

He could still hear the water splashing.

Both of them were still and silent for a moment, until Inui turned around and pushed up his glasses.

"Now, let's go, Kaidoh."

Kaidoh swung his racket and hissed. As they walked onto the court, Inui could feel everyone's eyes on them. He could tell that no one knew quite what to expect from them.

"Now, the first doubles match. Seigaku's Inui-Kaidoh pair versus Hyotei's Shishido-Ootori pair, serving."

A few balls were tossed toward Hyotei's side and the four players went to positions.

"One set match. Hyotei's Ootori to serve."

Inui's heart beat a little faster. His mind was racing with everything he had to remember. This was it.

"Kaidoh," he started, quietly. "Beware of Shishido's Rising. He'll hit deep toward the baseline so that you stop your steps."

Kaidoh gripped his racket more tightly.

Inui hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should mention Ootori's vicious serve. He quickly decided no. Kaidoh would get to see it before he had to hit it. Right now, Inui figured he should focus on his own shot.

Ootori bounced the ball a couple of times, staring his opponents down. Then, in one smooth motion, the tall second-year threw up the ball and hit it dead center, in perfect form.

Next thing Inui knew, the ball was bouncing behind him.

He and his teammate both turned at the same time, utterly dumbfounded.

_Fa… Fast!_

Inui couldn't even think in a complete sentence. Sure, he knew that Ootori's serve would be fast, but… _that_…

For a moment, Inui thought his world was falling apart again. His mind flashed back to the day he realized he would never beat Tezuka. The same horror swept over him. There were always these people, these giants with almost superhuman talent that no one could ever hope to match… No amount of data could help against such skill. Over and over again, Inui was forced to realize…

He could never be good enough.

Trying not to panic, he stepped up toward the service line. Moments later, another serve screamed past him. It traveled between the legs of Inui's partner, who, it seemed, had not even recovered from the initial shock of the first one.

"30-love!"

_Snap out of it, _Inui told himself. To panic at a time like this… He couldn't. It wouldn't help anything. It certainly wouldn't help his teammate. He needed to keep his cool…

…for Kaidoh.

Now standing at the baseline again, Inui squeezed his racket handle. "Kaidoh, let's try to predict it. That serve…"

Kaidoh turned, looking almost frightened. "What?" he breathed, as if he hadn't heard.

Inui turned his gaze to the other side of the court. He spoke as calmly as he could. "In any case, I want to try to predict it."

As Kaidoh turned around again, Inui adjusted his position slightly. _What if…_

Another serve came. It was deep of the service line by a meter and a half.

"Fault!"

_Interesting…_ Inui thought. _It could be a coincidence._

He adjusted his position again. Ootori didn't slow his speed, which Inui had already been expecting. This time the ball went into the net.

"Double fault! 30-15."

Inui casually rubbed his shoe against the court, watching his foot as he did so. He wasn't so much marking the spot as he was memorizing the distance from each line. He hadn't determined anything yet, but he thought he had seen something. Still…

He would need more data.

The third-year moved back up to the service line, where, a few moments later, he felt a barely noticeable breeze from the next serve.

"40-15!"

Inui turned around and tried to catch his partner's eye.

_Don't panic, Kaidoh._

The second-year didn't look at him. His expression was tense.

Inui let out a slow breath and experimented with another position. The serve came again like lightning.

"Game, Hyotei. One game to love!"

No luck.

Hyotei's crowd began cheering again. "Serve and game! Serve and game! Serve and…"

Inui gritted his teeth. Their opponents had a powerful psychological strategy. And it had almost broken him. _Him, _Inui Sadaharu…

He heard a low growl somewhere next to him. Kaidoh did not seem very pleased with the way the match had started. And the jeering crowd was obviously getting on his last nerve. Inui could only hope that it would work to their advantage. But even if it did, that slight advantage might not be enough…

Kaidoh turned suddenly, breaking Inui's thought train. The second-year said nothing. He was waiting for an answer, waiting for his senpai to solve the problem. But when he got no response, he turned away and stalked up to the net, frustrated.

It hurt Inui to realize that he couldn't fix everything. He didn't have an answer. In this situation, data and predictions wouldn't make much difference. To win the match, they would have to work around Ootori's service games. Fortunately, this was doubles, and Ootori would only be serving every four games. But they would have to recognize that those games were automatic losses. Kaidoh needed to know that. There was nothing to do now but be a realist.

"We can't help but let that kind of serve control the game," he said simply, to Kaidoh's back. He noticed his teammate bristle, but chose to ignore it and go on. "Kaidoh, next time, we'll—"

"It's not that we can't help it."

Inui stopped, startled.

Kaidoh spoke with an unusual amount of passion. "What are you talking about, senpai?"

Inui couldn't breathe. Where was this coming from?

Then he remembered.

"_Kaidoh… Want to team up with me in doubles?"_

"_I refuse!"_

Those two words echoed in Inui's mind, throbbing in his chest as they did so. His eyebrows became tense with pain and thought. No wonder Kaidoh was angry. He didn't even want to be here.

Why _was_ he here?

"Kaidoh…" Inui started, in a calm voice that surprised him. He wasn't exactly sure what to say, so he didn't go on. Kaidoh's back was still facing him, and the second-year didn't seem to be listening.

"I didn't plan on pulling back, for starters…" The second-year was saying in a low voice. Inui didn't have time to figure out if the remark was meant for him or not.

He was too distracted.

Slowly, hypnotically, Kaidoh had begun to sway. Like a cobra, he shifted his weight fluidly, back… and forth…

…Back… and forth…

Once again, Inui realized that he was forgetting to breathe. Was it the afternoon sun that was making his face feel hot? But even with the heat, watching that mesmerizing motion made what Kaidoh said next send a chill up Inui's spine.

"I will make them shut up."

* * *

-end of chapter 8-

Hope you liked! Next chapter... The exciting conclusion of the match! (As if you don't know what happens XD)


	9. Over

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of it's characters. If I did, do you really think I'd spend my time writing fanfiction? XD

**Warning: **This fic contains mild shounen-ai.

**Author's Notes: **Finally, the end of the Hyotei match! I have been working literally around the clock on this fic. The end is near... Enjoy!

* * *

As Inui was preparing to serve, he became more optimistic. Following his predictions, the crowd had indeed irked Kaidoh to the point where it would help them. Now Inui just had to focus on winning his service game.

The third-year glanced at his black wristband, thinking. He had put it on that morning, before everything had changed, when he was sure that he and Kaidoh would win without a problem. But now, it seemed that their game could fall apart at any second, and they needed every slight advantage they could give themselves. Now, the weights felt too heavy.

Inui gripped his racket more tightly and bounced the ball. _Better to be cautious._

He threw the ball up and hit it hard. It was long by less than a foot.

"Fault!"

Inui gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. It seemed he could never find a way to get his serve warmed up properly _before_ the match. His first serve of every match was a fault 78 percent of the time. Unacceptable.

Unlike Ootori, Inui didn't think he could risk going all-out on a second serve. So he gave the ball less speed and made sure he got it in. Ootori returned it with a lob over Kaidoh's head. It landed in the back corner where Inui couldn't reach it.

"Love-15!"

The crowd erupted.

"Keep it up and break them!" Someone shouted.

"Hyotei! Hyotei! Ootori! Ootori! Hyotei! Hyotei! Ootori!..."

Inui walked straight up to his partner. "I'm sorry, Kaidoh."

The second year dismissed the apology with a simple, "Tch." His eyes were on Hyotei's cheering fans.

"We can't help it?" Kaidoh said, apparently still stuck on Inui's earlier comment. Their eyes met. "What do you mean we can't help it, senpai?"

Inui was truly at a loss for words. He couldn't argue with the determination that blazed in his partner's eyes.

"I am not going to back down."

With purpose, Kaidoh walked back to the baseline, giving Inui a long, significant glance before settling into ready position.

"First, I'm gonna make them shut up."

_Kaidoh…_

Inui wasn't sure what to do. For a long time, he just stood there. His partner was showing a strong determination to do things his own way. For now, it wouldn't be a problem. But it made Inui nervous. If his teammate refused to listen, it might make things difficult later.

Kaidoh's actions were causing a stir in the crowd. Why was the front guard standing in the back? Inui knew well enough. It was a common but unique doubles strategy, one they had even practiced. It was the perfect set-up for Kaidoh's best shot.

_So… he wants to use "that" already…_

Inui clenched his jaw. This next point was important, and Kaidoh had found a surefire way to take it. Right now, the wisest course of action was to serve the ball well and let Kaidoh do his thing.

Inui took a moment to focus. Then he threw up the ball and hit it hard, feeling the weight on his wrist as he did so. The serve went in, but predictably, Shishido returned it without much trouble.

The placement was perfect. Like clockwork, Inui ran up to net while Kaidoh, with beautiful form, hit a Boomerang Snake into the alley.

Needless to say, their opponents were dumbfounded.

Inui turned to his partner, unable to hide his smile. "Seems like you've hit it with your entire arm…"

Kaidoh blinked, for a moment looking surprised at his senpai's remark. But then he turned away quickly, brushing off the compliment. "Huh. It would have been out in a singles match."

Inui frowned. Why had Kaidoh turned away from him? Then he inwardly laughed at himself for wondering. His smile reappeared and he adjusted his glasses. _True, it's not like you to be satisfied by such._

"_I will fight in singles to the end. I won't have anyone get in my way!"_

_And yet here we are, Kaidoh._

Inui heard Kaidoh hiss, as if he had heard his partner's thought train. Perhaps it was still true that he didn't want to be there.

Inui knew he had to make a decision. His focus turned again to his wristband. By holding back, he was holding his partner back. And Kaidoh hated to be held back. The second-year had made it clear that his will to win would stand up against the odds. All caution had been thrown aside. He was giving it his all.

It was time for Inui to do the same.

He began walking towards the bench. _Even though I thought I would be cautious for the first half of the game..._

_I will go on the offensive too._

Inui could feel Kaidoh watching him. He slipped off his wristband and tossed it casually to the bench. He missed, and it hit the side and fell to the ground with two very effective thuds and a cloud of dust. Which made him glad that it _hadn't_ landed on the bench.

Inui went to join his partner back on the court. Kaidoh's eyes were wide. The third-year shot him a significant look as he walked past, then prepared to serve the ball. He tossed it up and hit it as hard as he could.

The next thing Ootori knew, the ball was bouncing behind him.

"30-15!"

Inui stared at the spot it had hit. Perfect placement. Yes, it was much easier without the weights.

There was quite a stir in the crowd. But Inui only cared what one person thought. He turned to look at Kaidoh, who had pulled an extra ball out of his pocket and was holding it up. "Senpai."

Inui smiled at his teammate's respectful gesture. "Hey, Kaidoh. With your Boomerang Snake and my serve… I wonder if that would shut them up."

Kaidoh tossed the ball. Inui caught it with a smile, happy that his partner seemed impressed.

"Nice serve!" The second-year clenched his fist, and they both knew. The real fight had begun.

Inui pulled off another perfect serve.

"40-15!"

Seigaku's tennis club was finally cheering louder than Hyotei's. Feeling confident, Inui prepared to serve again.

_One more point, and we keep our service game._

It was hard not to let the pressure affect him. He took a deep breath. His serve was perfect, again. But somehow, Ootori got his racket on it.

_Shoot._

Disappointed, Inui prepared his shot. It had only been blocked back, so it wasn't hard to hit. He sliced it hard to the middle of the court. Shishido appeared from nowhere and hit it back on the rise. It landed in the alley, just out of Kaidoh's reach.

"40-30!"

This would be harder than Inui had hoped. If Hyotei could return his serve, then it would be a match based on ground strokes. And Inui wasn't sure they could win against Shishido's rising counter.

So, Ootori could return his serve… With any luck, Shishido could not.

Inui was proven wrong with his very next serve. Shishido reacted amazingly quick and returned the ball with a dive. The ball went to Kaidoh. Ootori was running up to the net, and luckily, Kaidoh saw the hole in the formation. He hit a perfect snake shot around Ootori, right into the open alley. He stood there and watched his shot, thinking the point was over.

No such luck. Shishido was there.

"Why is that guy there?" Kaidoh yelled aloud. A valid question, Inui thought, since Shishido had been _on the ground _just a second beforehand. Shishido hit a perfect passing shot right down the line, impossible to return.

"Deuce!"

This guy was really something.

The next point was not much different. Ootori returned Inui's serve, and Shishido only had to hit the ball back three times to get it past them.

"Advantage, Hyotei!"

For the next point, Inui thought he'd try something. As soon as the ball came to him, he tried to hit it over Ootori's head. It wasn't very high, though, because he knew that a lob would give Shishido enough time to reach it easily. And because it wasn't a lob, Ootori was tall enough to smash it without even jumping.

"Game, Hyotei. 2 games to love! Hyotei leads."

Hyotei's crowd was cheering again.

Inui watched his opponents carefully as they hit their arms together. He had a vague feeling of déjà vu, as if he had seen something very similar recently. Then it hit him.

He was seeing the Golden Pair.

Ootori and Shishido were not experienced doubles players. Inui had never seen so many holes in formation in an official match. But suddenly he realized that it wasn't just Shishido's quick reaction time that saved them. Somehow, they were a perfect team.

What was it _exactly_ that made them so good?

Inui pondered this while he took a sip from his water bottle. He placed it back on the bench and was about to return to the court when he heard Momoshiro yell something behind him.

"C'mon now, Kaidoh! Why are you just standing there! Hurry up and end this quickly!"

Inui gritted his teeth. He could feel his partner's temper rise and give way.

"Stop babbling! You're annoying!" The second-year threw his racket to the ground. Inui just watched, growing increasingly nervous.

Momoshiro smiled, obviously having attained the desired effect. "Ooo, scary…" he mumbled, tantalizingly. Inui surmised that he was trying to turn the match around by provoking Kaidoh. And it would have been a foolproof strategy, but this was doubles. And Inui _needed_ Kaidoh to listen to him.

_Don't lose it now, Kaidoh…_

Hiding his sudden anxiety, Inui calmly walked over to pick up Kaidoh's racket. He could feel everyone, including their opponents, watching them. As he offered the racket to his teammate, he tried to read his expression. The second-year had a weird smirk on his lips.

"I don't like this…" he mumbled. Then he snatched the racket from Inui's hand and turned away. "Senpai… I'm just gonna play my own way now. I can't let them take liberties with us."

"Kaidoh…" Inui wanted to ask him what he was doing, but he knew it would ruin everything if their opponents knew their plan.

But was Kaidoh sticking with the plan?

Inui was kicking himself. Why couldn't he read his partner? He wasn't used to it, and he was afraid. Had Kaidoh finally snapped?

Inui finally decided that it was best just to stay out of Kaidoh's way. He would gather all the data, according to plan, and with any luck, his teammate would still listen to him when the time came. And hopefully, Kaidoh wouldn't wear himself out.

The match continued. Inui did his job, and he soon realized that Kaidoh was doing his. The second-year's shots were placed one after the other, precisely and according to plan. They were perfectly manufactured to give Inui the data he needed. He would be finished by the end of three games.

Staying out of Kaidoh's way for three games proved to be harder than Inui expected. Not only was it difficult to keep clear of Kaidoh's shots, but Inui had to restrain himself from helping. Everything in him wanted to tell Kaidoh to stop, to relax and not push himself so hard. But it had to be done this way. If Kaidoh didn't run around and keep the rallies going, three games wouldn't give Inui enough data.

Still, Inui hated himself for doing this to his teammate. Wasn't it asking too much?

It was the final point of the fourth game. Kaidoh served the ball and ran immediately to the center for the return. Inui was up at net, but off to the side, watching their opponents. The rally must have lasted for seven minutes. Kaidoh's final shot went into the net, and he fell to his knees.

"Game, Hyotei. Four games to love!"

Kaidoh was breathing heavily. It really seemed like he had reached his limit. But Inui knew better. He had trained Kaidoh. And he knew that his partner had a lot more in him.

Their opponents, however, were fooled. Shishido walked up to the net and addressed Kaidoh.

"You're Kaidoh, huh? Sorry, but there's a limit to mental strength and tenacity."

Kaidoh looked up, but said nothing.

"Shishido-san," Ootori cut in, probably trying to avoid risking a fight. "It's no use saying that to a guy like him. If he understood, he wouldn't play such a stand-alone game."

Shishido still felt the need to finish his thought. "If one could play with just guts, no one would have to practice!" With that, he walked away.

"Bastard…" Inui heard Kaidoh mumble. Inui couldn't help agreeing. How dare Shishido imply that Kaidoh didn't practice? If anyone knew about practice, it was Kaidoh.

Inui wanted to help. Unfortunately, it wasn't time to step in again. He still needed information on that serve.

Hyotei won the next game in four shots. But in those four shots, Inui saw what he needed to see.

He turned to his partner. Kaidoh was still visibly tired, and he didn't even look at Inui. His sweat was dripping onto the court.

"Too bad, Inui."

The third-year looked up. Shishido was staring at him, confidently. "Kaidoh is finished already."

Inui's eyes followed his opponents. They seemed so confident. But they had to be wrong…

Inui put his hand against Kaidoh's shoulder. "Kaidoh, it seems you're done already."

The second-year tried to gain control of his breath. He looked up into Inui's eyes. "Data…" he panted. "Have you collected it yet?"

Inui nodded. "Yeah. All of it." Then he added, quietly, "Thank you."

A smirk appeared on Kaidoh's face like none Inui had ever seen. Suddenly, he felt a rush of adrenaline. They were about to make a complete comeback.

The two of them walked to the other side of the court. As they passed their teammates on the sidelines, Inui knew that everyone saw the smirks on their faces. He felt the team relax. Soon, he even heard them laughing.

It was Inui's serve. He hit the ball. Ootori returned it, straight to him. Inui hit it down the middle. Shishido got to it and hit it on the rise, aiming behind Kaidoh.

Like clockwork.

"Probability of a passing shot: 100 percent." Inui had put himself in perfect position. He hit it to the ad side alley. Predictably, Shishido got there. Inui watched the ball bounce off his racket and decided he didn't have to move.

"Too bad…" he said, loud enough for his opponent to hear. "It will be short by…"

He waited for the ball to hit the net. "Three balls' height," he finished.

"15-love!"

Shishido was visibly frustrated. Satisfied, Inui addressed his partner.

"Now…" he began, causing Kaidoh to face him. "Let's start a comeback!" He held out a fist.

The second-year smiled. "Yes!" he responded, looking extremely pleased. They bumped fists and held there for a moment, just looking at each other. Inui had never been happier. He could see the optimism in Kaidoh's eyes.

They could do this.

The next point was just as easy. "Probability of going left: 75 percent." Another shot. "Probability of a short cross: 85 percent." An easy volley.

"30-love!"

It was always interesting to watch. Hyotei was clearly falling apart, trying things that they thought were new. It only made their shots easier to predict. Inui knew that Ootori would try a straight lob, and he decided to let Kaidoh take the shot.

"Kaidoh," he said without turning. "Take 3.5 steps back."

Kaidoh obediently did so, putting him in perfect position for the shot. He smashed it right to the middle.

"40-love!"

Next point, same thing.

"Game, Seigaku! Five games to one!"

Next game, first point.

"Love-15!"

Next point. Inui put Kaidoh in position before he even hit his own shot. A Snake finished them off.

"Love-30!"

Next point.

"Love-40!"

Next point.

"Game, Seigaku! Five games to two! Change court."

Inui tucked his racket under his arm and headed to the other side, anxious to finish now that things were going so well. But before he got to his position, he realized that Kaidoh wasn't behind him.

"Kaidoh?" he turned around. The second-year had stopped next to the net. His expression was far away and impossible to read. He seemed lost in thought.

Inui blinked. He didn't want to disturb his teammate. Because, though Kaidoh was thinking, he was looking straight at Inui. And there was something in his eyes that Inui had never seen before.

What was it?

"Kaidoh," he repeated, conscious of their time restraints. "Are you ready?"

The second-year blinked, his eyes refocused. "Yes, senpai," he replied, and began heading to position. But he stopped suddenly, and looked again to Inui. "Let's do it," he said quietly.

Inui went to his place at the service line feeling a bit confused. Hadn't _he_ said that before?

The next game was no problem. "Game, Seigaku! Five games to three!"

Now, they only had one thing to worry about: Ootori's serve. It was the ninth game.

Kaidoh approached Inui. "Senpai, what do we do now?"

Inui smiled. "Stand two steps to the left of your usual return position. When Ootori wants to aim for the right side, he has this habit where he kneads his right hand when he hits. If he does that, then the course of his serve will go into the net."

"Are you sure that will work?"

"Positive. Watch."

Inui did exactly as he instructed, and sure enough, Ootori hit two serves into the net.

"Love-15!"

After giving Inui a quick smile, Kaidoh did the same.

"Double fault! Love-30!"

They switched positions again.

"Double fault! Love-40!"

Inui noticed Shishido giving Ootori some advice. That could be a problem.

"Kaidoh, get ready." The second-year nodded, having seen the same thing.

As expected, the serve went in. And, much to Inui's surprise, Kaidoh returned it.

_No way…_ He smiled wide. This would be easy now.

Shishido tried to hit it behind Inui. Inui didn't even flinch. "As expected!" he declared aloud. Kaidoh would get it. Another perfect set-up for his shot…

Inui watched his partner hit the ball. And when he saw it, he knew instantly…

Kaidoh had mastered his Boomerang Snake.

Inui was happy for him. But there was one drawback to this victory: Shishido could now get to the ball.

The ball landed perfectly, just inside the singles line. Shishido had to dive, but he hit it back, up high into the air.

_It's okay…_ Inui thought as he was running to position. _Based on Ootori-kun's character, he would cover the fallen Shishido. He won't be able to move from that center position._ His eyes fell on a spot in the back corner on the deuce side. _Probibility of a straight hit to that point, 100 percent._

Just as he was about to hit the ball to finish the game, he noticed Ootori running to cover the open side. Thinking fast, Inui changed his direction to the alley, by Shishido. He hit the ball.

"Game, Seigaku. Five games to four."

_No…_

Inui stood there, holding his racket, undecided as to what he should do.

The smash had been out.

It hadn't been called. Even his opponents hadn't seen it. But Inui had. He could still see the mark on the court, and he knew it would haunt him for the rest of the match. He was already starting to get a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't accept a point like that… Especially when it had won a game…

His steps were heavy as he approached the referee's chair.

"That smash I just hit… It's about 5.3 millimeters outside the court." He let out a breath. "It's a shame, but it's an out. Please check."

There was a long pause. The entire place was silent. The referee was baffled. "It… it is…" he said, after looking. He turned to the crowd and announced, "Sorry. We will start from 15-40."

Inui nodded. He had done the right thing.

He turned to his partner, hoping desperately that he hadn't let him down. "Sorry, Kaidoh. About that chance ball…"

Kaidoh didn't let him finish. "I didn't mind."

_Of course not. _Inui smiled. Kaidoh wouldn't have been happy to win the game like that either.

The mistake had come at the worst possible time. By this point, Kaidoh really _was_ tired, and the lucky break had given Hyotei confidence. They pulled off four points in a row, despite Inui and Kaidoh's best efforts.

"Game and match, Hyotei! Six games to three!"

It was over.

Inui would have been lying if he'd said he wasn't disappointed. And he could tell that Kaidoh was disappointed, too. It was a comfort to know that they had given it their everything, but…

It was still _over._ They would never play doubles together again.

Kaidoh was sitting on the court, since he had dived for the last ball. Inui held out his hand to help him up.

"Good match, Kaidoh."

The second-year stared up at his senpai for a minute before grabbing Inui's hand. "You too, senpai."

Inui wanted badly to say something, anything before they left the court. But there were so many things running through his head, he couldn't think of anything at all. So he just smiled and gave Kaidoh's hand a squeeze before letting go.

They faced their coach's lecture together. "You idiots! To forget that this is a team match… Well, next time when you two team up again—"

Inui interrupted. "Sensei… Kaidoh has completely mastered his Boomerang Snake already. There isn't such a need for him to play doubles—"

"Not yet."

Inui turned.

"I haven't returned the favor to you in doubles yet," Kaidoh said simply.

Inui was dumbfounded. _What?_

"Kaidoh…" he breathed.

"And so he says, Inui," their coach said, matter-of-factly. She now felt entitled to continue her lecture. "Next time when you two team up again…

"Show me the meaning of the word, 'victory'."

"Yes," They both said.

She went on. "Then again, this seems like a game you'd play."

"Yeah…" Inui trailed off, not really listening. He was still trying to figure why Kaidoh had said what he said. What favor exactly did he feel he needed to return?

"In any case, that's all I wanted to say," she finished.

Inui looked again at his partner, who was holding up his hand for a high-five, even managing a smile. Inui gladly slapped his hand against his teammate's. As he did so, he knew he would want to remember that moment forever. Then he followed Kaidoh off the court.

…

During the break, Inui and Kaidoh parted ways. Inui wasn't sure where his partner ran off to, but he knew he could use the time alone to collect his thoughts and analyze the match.

_I pushed his limits too much in the end… That was a mistake in my plan._

There was no one around, so Inui began thinking aloud. "But that smash back then… Even though I hit it completely different from my data…"

His voice trailed off with the memory. If only that shot had been in…

Inui was suddenly startled out of his thoughts by the sound of running footsteps. He turned.

It was Shishido and Ootori.

He quickly ducked behind the lamppost he had been leaning against. He wasn't exactly sure why he did this, but he didn't really want those two to see him. He watched them pass and continue running. Their steps were perfectly in rhythm.

_I can't believe they're training already…_

"Gotta watch out for them."

Inui turned to find that Momoshiro had somehow appeared beside him without him noticing.

"Yeah," he replied. "Cooling down right after the match. Not just running for the sake of it." His eyes ventured back to the spot where Shishido and Ootori had disappeared. He continued explaining. "When you run loosely, you lower the stress on your muscles… They're preparing for their next match already. Those guys aim higher and higher."

Inui paused, thinking of Kaidoh. His teammate was probably doing the same thing that these two were doing. Inui suddenly wanted to go find him.

"Speaking of which, Momo… Have you seen Kaidoh around?"

Momo laughed. "Who knows… If were talking about Viper, he probably hasn't started cooling down yet. Wouldn't he be pushing himself and undergoing training already?"

"That's true…" Inui trailed off.

"Well. See you around, Inui-senpai." Momo turned on his heels and headed back towards the courts.

Inui watched him go. _What a character._

He looked at his watch. There were still a few minutes before Kawamura's match would start. He decided to try to look for Kaidoh.

Doing so proved difficult. The tennis center was huge, and Kaidoh's position was no doubt constantly changing. But Inui looked anyway. There was so much he wanted to talk to Kaidoh about. For one thing, he wanted to discuss the match. In the end, he _had _pushed his partner a little too far, and he wanted to apologize for his errors in calculation. But even more than all that, he wanted to ask Kaidoh about what he had said afterwards…

"_I haven't returned the favor to you in doubles yet."_

What did he mean by that? Of course he had returned the favor… Inui's reason for using Kaidoh was his endurance. Because he knew that Kaidoh's stamina would allow him plenty of time to gather data. And Kaidoh had given his all.

Perhaps Kaidoh just thought the favor wasn't properly returned unless they _won_ a match.

A thought occurred to Inui. What if Kaidoh was blaming himself for the loss?

It would be just like him. But if he was blaming himself, he couldn't be farther from the truth. It was Inui's miscalculation…

Inui took another look at his watch. He really wanted to get back to watch Kawamura's match, and it was almost time. It was a shame, though, that he wouldn't get a chance to talk to Kaidoh. He decided that he would do that after all the matches were over.

Inui made it back to the court just in time. Taka was just walking onto the court when he got there. Kaidoh wasn't anywhere to be seen.

The match, like Momo and Eiji's, was hard to watch. It was a pure battle of power. In the end, Kawamura sacrificed his hand to avoid a loss. But because neither player could continue, the match was declared a "no-game."

Fuji's match against Jiroh was a little easier to sit through. Fuji struggled a bit with Jiroh's amazing net play, but he went all-out, revealing his third triple counter: Hakugei. Fuji won with little trouble.

Kaidoh showed up just after Fuji finished. Inui gave him a quick update on what had happened, but didn't talk to him much more than that. He was too anxious to see the next game.

Tezuka's match against Atobe could only be described in one word: _dramatic_. It wasn't just hard to watch, it was _painful_. The captain's shoulder gave out when he had only needed one more point to win. From there, it was a long, horrible downward spiral. The match had been long even before the injury, but then it went into the longest tiebreak Inui had ever seen. And with every shot, Tezuka was ruining his arm.

In the end, Atobe won.

The game score was 2-2, with one no-game. Because of that, everything would be decided by a match between the substitutes.

Everyone in Seigaku now thanked their lucky stars that it was Echizen.

It was a strange twist of events. Inui remembered how angry the freshman had been to discover that he was in the sub slot. In the past, being a substitute meant that you were the extra player that didn't fit anywhere, and you simply wouldn't get to play.

Now, the word "sub" seemed synonymous with "savior."

Echizen won the match by a landslide. All of Seigaku breathed a sigh of relief. They had defeated Hyotei Gakuen.

After bowing to the other team, everyone packed up. Inui had planned on looking for Kaidoh after that, but it was Kaidoh who came to him, with a question.

"Senpai, what's going to happen to Tezuka-buchou?"

Inui looked into his teammates inquiring eyes and sighed. That was the question, wasn't it? "I don't know, Kaidoh," he said finally. Might as well be honest. "My guess is that he's out for the season."

Kaidoh looked at his feet.

"What's wrong, Kaidoh?"

Kaidoh clenched his fist. "If we'd have won…" The second-year trailed off, deciding he shouldn't continue.

Inui reflected for a moment. He felt suddenly guilty. Kaidoh was right; if they'd won, Tezuka might not have even played. And none of this would have happened…

Inui looked back into his companion's eyes. "Kaidoh, I'm sorry. If I hadn't missed that shot, we probably would have won. And I miscalculated—"

"Senpai, it wasn't your fault that we lost," Kaidoh interrupted. He looked angry.

Inui blinked. "What are you talking about, Kaidoh?"

"That shot of yours didn't lose the match. It was everything that happened after that." The second-year's eyes narrowed. "_I _was the one who fell apart. Not you."

"Kaidoh—"

"Inui-senpai!" Momo called suddenly, somewhere behind him. "Could you come here for a second?"

Inui reluctantly went. What was so important? It turned out that Momo just wanted to know which water bottle was Inui's, so he didn't take it accidentally, but when Inui turned back to finish his conversation with Kaidoh, Kaidoh wasn't there.

* * *

-end of chapter 9-

Hope you liked! XD

Next chapter... Inui finally realizes the truth. Will his world fall apart?


	10. Dependence

**Disclaimer: **I don't own PoT or any characters. Boo hoo.

**Warning: **This fic contains mild shounen-ai.

**Author's Notes: **1st of 3 posts today. Enjoy!

* * *

Inui went looking for Kaidoh. Why had he left so suddenly? Inui knew he had to set him straight. The match was not his fault.

The third-year found Kaidoh in a clearing shaded with trees. His fist was against one of the trunks, and he was cursing under his breath.

Why was he suddenly so upset?

"Kaidoh…"

At the sound of his name, Kaidoh stood up straighter and turned to face Inui. "Senpai." He was trying to act like nothing was wrong.

Inui couldn't look at him. Instead he stared at the broken bark where Kaidoh's fist had hit the tree. He wanted to apologize again, first of all. His eyes fell to his feet. "I'm sorry I let you down Kaidoh. And it wasn't your—"

"No, senpai."

Inui looked up. Kaidoh had begun walking away.

Inui wasn't sure why this frustrated him so much. _Why? _he asked himself. _What is he so upset about? Why won't he tell me? _

_And why is he leaving?_

Inui had to know. With one stride, he caught up to the second-year and grabbed him by the shoulders. Kaidoh obediently stopped and stood still. But instantly Inui noticed something that surprised him.

Kaidoh was trembling.

Inui couldn't move for a moment. He was just confused. Why in the world was Kaidoh shaking?

Then, he realized for the first time, with some dismay, that he made Kaidoh nervous.

Shocked and maybe slightly hurt, he let go of Kaidoh's shoulders. The last thing he wanted, right now, was to _scare_ the second-year. He could only say, quietly, "Kaidoh… We don't have to talk if you don't want to."

Kaidoh turned around halfway and bowed hurriedly. Obviously eager to take Inui up on that offer, he sputtered, "Forgive me, senpai." Then he literally ran away.

Inui didn't move from where he was standing. Somehow, he couldn't. He felt an unfamiliar sting somewhere inside his chest.

Kaidoh had run away from him.

Normally, Inui might have analyzed the situation with a more optimistic perspective. If he made Kaidoh nervous, it would mean that his influence on him was greater than he realized. And that might very well be a good thing. After all, Inui mostly wanted Kaidoh to listen. Because that enabled him to help his kouhai. And that was all he wanted, right?

Or was it?

Inui leaned against the tree and thought carefully about it. For the first time since he could remember, his mind went completely blank. He'd been at a loss for words before, he'd been unsure of his next course of action, but he'd always had ideas, always had plenty of things he could consider. But in this case, there was nothing to think about, nothing that hadn't been considered. All that was left now was…

"Hey, Inui!"

Startled, Inui looked up to see Oishi standing there with his hands in his pockets. Inui smiled both out of politeness and relief. Somehow, he felt that if anyone else had been standing there, it would have made for a very uncomfortable situation. But it was impossible to feel uncomfortable around Seigaku's vice captain. Also, Inui had been meaning to ask Oishi's opinion on the match.

"How is your wrist feeling?" Inui asked to start.

Oishi clutched it, rotating it a little, but not without a wince. "It's still sore. But it should get better pretty quickly if I take care of it."

"I'm sure it will," Inui replied. Then, after a moment's thought, he added, "I'm sorry you weren't able to play today."

Oishi smiled. "Ah, it's alright. It was actually kind of fun being a spectator. And except for that one thing…" The vice captain's face darkened for a moment, but his smile was back almost as soon as it had left, though not as bright as before. "Well, you know. But except for that, everything worked out better than I'd hoped." Inui had no reply, so the vice captain added, very sincerely, "You played very well today, Inui. It was a good match."

Inui chuckled, sort of nervously, and adjusted his glasses. That was a funny thing to hear, especially after what had just happened with Kaidoh…

"Was it?" he asked, slipping accidentally into a slightly sarcastic tone. He regretted it immediately. Oishi was only trying to be nice. So he explained, "I know that there were a number of reasons why we lost. Actually, I was interested in your opinion."

An ironic smirk appeared on Oishi's face. "Your data doesn't tell you what I'd say?"

Inui nodded knowingly. "I know that you would say it was something far more abstract than my own analysis would tell me."

"Ah, but it can be summed up in one word." The vice captain crossed his arms with the air of an expert.

_One word, huh? _Inui believed him, but it amazed him nonetheless. One word to explain the loss that Inui and Kaidoh had just endured. One word that made the Golden Pair nearly impossible to defeat. One word that meant the difference between victory and defeat. One word that would change everything.

_Why don't you tell me that one word, Oishi?_

"I could guess what you'll say," he began. "But why don't you just tell me?"

"Dependence."

Inui nodded. That was about what he would have guessed. It wasn't so complicated, really, and it was so like the vice captain to use such a word. Inui sighed with regret. Perhaps he should have thought of this sooner. Maybe then, they wouldn't have lost.

"But, Inui… you _had_ that."

Inui blinked and looked up. Oishi was smiling sweetly.

"Think about it. You depended completely on Kaidoh to keep the game going. And he depended completely on you to gather the data."

Inui thought about this for a moment. He supposed it was true, but then… Oishi's advice didn't make any sense. If they had what they needed, shouldn't they have won?

"Then why did we lose?" Inui asked with as little emotion as possible.

Oishi's hands went back into his pockets. Almost laughing, he said, "Well, bear in mind, Inui, that you were playing two extremely skilled tennis players. And if it wasn't for that one mistake and your honesty, it looked as if you very well might have beaten them in the end. I'd be surprised if Eiji and I could do that."

Inui was silent for a moment, trying to find a reason for what Oishi was saying. When he could find none off the top of his head, he gave into himself and asked, "Besides perhaps skill, what did those two have that we lacked?"

"Oh, I'm not even sure there was so much difference in skill. Kaidoh's just as stubborn as Shishido and your serve rivals Ootori's. And neither of them have the analytical skills that you do." Here, Oishi paused, as if intentionally trying to make Inui more frustrated. Really, the vice captain always gave good advice, but he had a habit of not getting to the point.

"But…?" Inui finally goaded, uncharacteristically.

"But the difference, if there is one, is very simple." Oishi smiled again. "What sets them apart as a _doubles _team is their dependence _off _the court, not just on it."

Inui crossed his arms, trying desperately to figure out how something like that would matter. Once again, though, it was just like the vice captain to say such a thing. But it was ridiculous, wasn't it? Tennis was tennis. The only thing that mattered was what happened on the court.

Wasn't it?

Oishi picked up on Inui's thought train and explained. "I know you think I'm just being sentimental about this point." He laughed. "Maybe so. But it's really helped Eiji and me; it's changed everything, in fact. I'm sure Ootori and Shishido would tell you the same thing." Oishi thought for a moment, searching for a good example to illustrate his point. "If you think about it, the dependence issue is probably why Oshitari and Mukahi were playing second doubles. I'm sure Oshitari could beat Shishido in singles any day. And Mukahi would probably consistently win games against Ootori, as long as he was serving. But I'm sure Mukahi and Oshitari lose to them in doubles every time they've played them. And sure, Ootori's serve is a big advantage. But it won't win a doubles match. So why would they always win?"

Inui had been listening carefully. So far, the vice captain's argument was flawless. In answer to the question, he ventured, "Because they make a better combination?"

Oishi thought for a moment. "Well… in a sense. Mukahi and Oshitari make a perfect combination. Their formations are better, and they've obviously been playing doubles longer. But that's just _on_ the court. They don't even seem to really like each other. And that can really affect their play, even though in tennis, they depend on each other completely."

Inui sighed, remembering that intangible thing that he had noticed in both matches. He supposed that Oishi was right. It was the only logical explanation, if such an explanation could be called "logical." But there was still something that didn't make sense. "I fail to see how that applies to Kaidoh and me…"

"Oh, don't get me wrong!" Oishi sputtered quickly, picking up on the question. "It would be ridiculous for me to think that you and Kaidoh hate each other. In fact, I can tell that you both have a great deal of respect for one another. But do you _depend _on each other?"

Inui considered this a moment before answering. The answer was yes, wasn't it?

"_Kaidoh…"_

"_What?"_

"_Do you trust me?"_

"_Yeah. Why, senpai?"_

Somehow, thinking about it now, Kaidoh's answer seemed less certain. Did this "trust" come from a sense of dependence, like Oishi was talking about, or was it just the respect that he mentioned?

This was important. If they were going to play doubles again, something would have to change before they could win. But Inui had no answer to give the vice captain. So he posed another question. "How would one fix such a problem?"

Oishi let out a little breath and looked sideways at the sky, thinking. "Time," he said carefully. "A lot of time. And trust. But to start?" Again he paused, leaving Inui in suspense. "I suppose one of you would have to initiate a sense of openness. Bare your soul, if you will."

Inui felt a chill go down his spine, suddenly feeling like this was all getting deeper than he really wanted to go. What was Oishi saying, exactly? He stood straight and still as he watched the vice captain's eyes land on him again.

"One of you, or both of you, is holding something back," Oishi said cryptically.

"What are you insin—"

"OISHII!"

Both of them were startled by the sudden interruption. Kikumaru came out of nowhere and latched onto Oishi's back in a flying glomp that almost knocked the vice captain off his feet. Not of course, that he would ever let his doubles partner fall.

"What is it, Eiji?" he asked with a cheerful smile, still carrying Kikumaru.

"Momo-chin was looking for you, nya. I think he wanted to thank you for your advice," Eiji replied with sparkling eyes.

Oishi laughed brightly. "Oh, he doesn't need to do that! You two won that match on your own." His expression softened. "I'm so proud of you, Eiji."

The redhead's cheeks turned slightly pink, but he grinned and replied, "Thank you, Oishii."

At the exact same moment, the Golden Pair slipped out of their little world and turned to Inui.

"See you later, Inui," Oishi said happily.

"Yes… See you," he heard himself say.

"Bye-bye!" Kikumaru waved, and the vice captain carried him off on his back.

"Hey, Oishii, let's go get some ice cream on the way home."

"Oh, that sounds good. We should treat Momo."

"Good idea, nya!"

Inui just stood there, not sure what he had just witnessed.

Was _that _what Oishi had been trying to tell him?

Normally, Inui would not have given this a second's thought. Why would he buy into something so over-the-top, so ridiculous?

But they looked so _happy. _Inui had to be honest with himself. Somehow…

He was jealous.

Why? Why would he be jealous? It was crazy, really, the kind of friendship the Golden Pair had. After all, didn't everyone make fun of them?

Inui sighed, thinking carefully. Maybe that was _why. _Maybe, deep down, everyone was just jealous. Maybe that was why they laughed at the Golden Pair.

Right now, Inui wasn't laughing. He was silent, standing all alone, leaning against a tree.

And he was jealous.

Emotions were no part of his game. They were great for other people; other people were led by passion. That's how they succeeded. That's how they made their mark in the world. But Inui had given that up. For him, passion only made failure painful. Failure wasn't painful anymore. When he failed, like he had today, he analyzed the situation, found the reason, and moved on. It didn't hurt now. Now there were only facts, only data. At least, those were the only things that _mattered. _Feelings didn't. Feelings had no place among the numbers and the charts and the diagrams. _Jealousy _had no place there. Inui didn't want it there. But he couldn't get rid of it.

What was he so jealous of? What did he want? Just a friend?

That must have been it. A friend. Someone Inui could still be comfortable with when a few feelings snuck in. Someone who he could share those feelings with, without being afraid. And someone who _enjoyed_ being around him.

Inui chuckled darkly at this thought. He brought his hands closer to his face and stared at them, remembering how Kaidoh had trembled. And soon he noticed that his own hands were shaking. He stuck them quickly in his pockets to get them to stop.

What was all of this? He wasn't even thinking straight. It was so unlike him. Normally, his thoughts were logical…

Logic. Yes, he could always go back to that. Logically, this whole episode made sense. He must have been suppressing emotion without realizing it. So this sudden outburst was normal. But what had triggered it?

Kaidoh had run away.

Inui felt again that unfamiliar pain in his chest. The harder he tried to ignore it, the more it hurt.

He began walking away from that horrible spot. Feeling was overrated, he decided.

When Inui got home that evening, he realized that he had nothing to do. Any other day, he would have logged on to his computer to start his analysis of the match. But he didn't really feel like thinking about the match now. At least, not yet.

He glanced at his desk. There was still a stack of paper squares sitting there…

No, he told himself, disgusted. There was no point to that. Folding cranes was where the remnants of his passion lay. That was where he had decided to put it, long ago… No more feeling. Not for now.

It was early, but Inui went to bed. And yet, he hardly got any sleep. Every time he dozed off, he would see that certain face, see it turn and run away, and he would jolt awake.

Why?

Inui was used to being able to answer any question. But this one, he couldn't. It was just one word, but it was too huge to answer.

Inui finally got up at about 3:00 am and started inputting data into his computer, using the notes he had taken the day before. It helped him relax. He strategically avoided his notes on the first doubles match.

The phone rang at about 5:30.

_Who in the world…? _Inui waited for his mother to pick up the phone in her room.

"Sadaharu!" she called moments later.

He rushed out into the hall and grabbed the portable phone. "I've got it!" he called back, nervously anticipating whatever voice was awaiting him on the other line.

"Hello?" He forced his voice to sound calm.

"Senpai."

_Kaidoh? _Of all people, Inui would have never expected _him_… Not after what happened…

Why was he calling?

Inui took the phone into his room and shut the door behind him. "Yes. Good morning, Kaidoh."

"Could you help me train today, senpai?"

The third-year felt the sting leave his chest. He had forgotten it was still there.

"Sure, I'd… I mean…" Inui cleared his throat. "Yes. Yes, of course. When?"

"As soon as possible, senpai… If that's alright…"

"Certainly. I'll meet you at the school in…" He looked at his watch without really reading it. "Twenty minutes."

As soon as Inui hung up, he was hit with a sudden feeling of dread. Training? Train for _what? _He had absolutely nothing prepared.

He started to panic. Maybe he should call Kaidoh back, say he wasn't feeling well. No… obviously a lie. Well, not really; he was starting to feel sick to his stomach. But then it would still _seem_ like a lie… Kaidoh would probably ask…

Inui smacked his forehead for being so stupid. This wasn't a big deal.

His mind was still going a mile a minute. Sleep… Yes, maybe he should have gotten more sleep. But now, he had to go.

While he was frantically getting ready, a thought occurred to him.

Kaidoh had called him.

He turned this over again in his mind.

_Kaidoh_ had called him. Kaidoh had called _him_. He had called, and he wanted to train. Together.

This was just one of those things no amount of data could support.

Inui shook his head. Was it really so unnatural? Kaidoh was upset about the match, so obviously he would want to start training again as soon as possible, to get better. And training with Inui had become a habit.

Yes, that made sense. It was a habit.

He sighed. Maybe he was over-analyzing. Although, he'd always thought there was no such thing as "over-analyzing"…

Still, this situation somehow seemed to be something that someone like Oishi would know more about.

Inui thought over all of the advice Oishi had given him. Some of it still made no sense to Inui. Part of him wanted to just forget it all. But…

Kaidoh had said they would play doubles again.

Had he really meant it?

Of course he had, Inui concluded. Kaidoh wouldn't say something like that unless he meant it. Maybe that was why he wanted to train together today. It couldn't hurt to talk to him about it.

Inui got out his notebook. Perhaps he should write down what he could remember of the vice captain's advice. What had he said was the key? Dependence. That was obvious. Time, lots of it. And trust. Openness, had he said? Something like that…

Inui stopped for a moment. Was there anything _substantial _in any of this?

He closed his notebook and looked at his watch. He was going to be late. As he rushed out the door, he knew exactly what training he and Kaidoh would be doing that day.

Nothing.

…

Inui arrived at the school more than ten minutes later than he had promised. He found Kaidoh leaning against the side of the clubhouse, looking like he had been waiting for quite some time. Inui didn't call out to him. Instead, he just stood there, noticing the soft expression on Kaidoh's face, the way the loose strands of his hair fluttered in the light breeze. It didn't take long, though, for the second-year to look up and notice him there.

He stood up straigher. "Senpai."

Inui smiled as he walked up to his teammate. "Sorry I'm late, Kaidoh."

Kaidoh studied Inui with a strange look on his face.

"What is it, Kaidoh?"

"Senpai… it's just…" He didn't seem quite sure how to phrase his observation. "Where is… I mean… You don't have your notebook with you."

Inui laughed aloud. "Do I look that strange without it?" Kaidoh looked away, embarrassed. Inui smiled at this and scratched the back of his neck. "I suppose I do. I just figured I didn't need it today."

Kaidoh looked at him again, still a bit perplexed. "What do you have planned, then, senpai? Are we just running, or…"

"Nothing. I have nothing planned."

There was a long pause. Kaidoh was looking at Inui like he was something from another planet. But somehow, Inui didn't care. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

"What?"

"A walk," Inui repeated, tempted to laugh again. Kaidoh was taking this so seriously. Normally, he would have too, but for once, it felt really good not to. "C'mon," he said when Kaidoh didn't respond. He started to walk, and within a few seconds, his teammate was walking with him, still not sure what to make of the situation.

At about the end of the block, Inui spoke. "I wanted to talk to you again about the match. First of all, you never let me apologize…"

"Senpai, you didn't—"

"Ah ah ah…" Inui stopped walking to put a finger to Kaidoh's lips. "Let me finish."

When Inui took his finger away, Kaidoh blinked twice. Inui thought he saw a hint of pink in the second-year's cheeks. They continued walking.

"I wanted to apologize for the error in my calculations. I pushed your limits too much at the end. _I_ should have known better."

Kaidoh was watching the ground in front of him. "I told you, senpai, it wasn't _your_ fault. You shouldn't blame yourself."

"Then _you_ don't blame yourself, either."

Kaidoh looked up at him, unsure what to say. Inui returned the look with a smile. Then he changed the subject.

"Is there anything you'd like to do? We could get something to eat…"

Kaidoh's eyes narrowed. "Something to eat?" he repeated, completely baffled.

"Well, of course, we don't have to…"

"What about training?"

"What about it?"

"Weren't we going to… I dunno. Senpai, you're acting weird."

Inui couldn't resist a smile. "Kaidoh, when was the last time you just _relaxed_?"

Kaidoh thought for a moment. "I don't know, but it probably hasn't been as long for me as it has for you, senpai."

Inui nodded. He couldn't argue with that; it _had _been a long time.

"Say, Kaidoh, do you have anything else to do today?"

Kaidoh stuck his hands in his pockets. "I guess not. Why?"

"Do you want to just… hang out?"

The second-year didn't respond right away. Inui swallowed, afraid that Kaidoh would refuse.

The silence was making him uneasy. So he asked, "What, you don't want to?"

Kaidoh flinched, apparently just realizing that he hadn't said anything. "No, it's not that!" He rubbed the back of his head. "It's just that… I can't remember the last time I hung out with a friend…"

Inui smiled at the word, "friend." He pushed up his glasses and asked, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No."

"Me neither. You know what sounds really good right now?"

"Uh… what, senpai?"

"A cinnamon roll."

Again, Kaidoh gave Inui a strange look. "That's not exactly healthy…"

Inui couldn't help chuckling at the characteristic comment. "Well, no. But somehow, today I couldn't care less."

They spent the entire day together, just relaxing and doing whatever they wanted. Inui had his cinnamon roll and convinced Kaidoh to have one too. They saw a movie, liked it, saw it again, had an early lunch, went shopping at some of their favorite tennis stores but didn't buy anything, wasted an hour at an arcade, and had an early dinner. But Inui's favorite part was the time they spent walking from place to place, just talking. To his surprise, they never ran out of things to talk about. They shared jokes and laughs, and discussed everything from tennis to the weather.

It was getting late, and they were walking somewhere near the school when Inui stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is it, senpai?" Kaidoh asked, slightly behind him.

A smile crept onto Inui's face. How had their feet carried them _here_?

"Remember this place, Kaidoh?"

Kaidoh looked, but neither of them said anything. They didn't need to.

They were standing by the canal.

Memories poured themselves into Inui's head.

"_Kaidoh… Want to team up with me in doubles?"_

So much had changed since then. Had that really happened just a week ago? It seemed so much farther away…

Inui started down the grassy slope.

"What are you doing, senpai?"

"C'mon," was all Inui said. He sat down before he reached the bottom. Soon his teammate was sitting next to him.

There was a long silence. Inui's mind was busy thinking about everything that had happened in the past week. But this time, he didn't just think about it. This time, he allowed himself to feel.

And he had to smile.

He sighed happily and leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. "Beautiful sunset, don't you think?"

"Yeah…" Kaidoh trailed off. Inui noticed that the second-year turned to look at him a moment later, but he continued gazing at the orange and golden sky.

Kaidoh eased himself down to a lying position. Inui closed his eyes. There was something about just lying there, next to Kaidoh…

Inui opened his eyes again and watched the clouds go by. Everything seemed perfect. Inui suddenly wondered if the Golden Pair ever went cloud-watching.

Inui propped himelf up on one elbow. Maybe Kaidoh was getting bored. "Hey, Kaidoh…"

He stopped himself immediately. Kaidoh was asleep.

Inui smiled. _I shouldn't wake him._

He watched a few more clouds go by, then yawned. Maybe Kaidoh had the right idea. It was so peaceful and warm right now…

Inui took off his glasses and set them to the side. With another yawn, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

-end of chapter 10-

Hope you liked it! XD


	11. Wish

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.

**Warning: **This fic contains mild shounen-ai.

**Author's Notes: **This is the last chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

When Inui opened his eyes again, he saw stars.

He sat up hurriedly and brought his watch close to his face. It was past ten. He leaned forward and rubbed his forehead. What was he going to tell his mother?

His eyes wandered to that spot beside him, where Kaidoh was still sleeping. He scooted closer and leaned down. The moonlight was making everything look softer, somehow… He looked so sweet, lying there.

Inui touched Kaidoh's cheek. Then he ran his fingers all the way up and down the side of Kaidoh's face. He was trying not to think again, trying instead to feel.

He felt…

…warm.

He felt happy… and peaceful. Calm, but not bored… almost excited. He felt light… He felt free…

He felt like he could fly.

In a way, he felt like he already was. He felt like he was somewhere up in the stars, like he had just slept on a cloud and not on the ground. He felt complete; he felt like he had everything he'd ever wanted. And he felt like there was no one else in the world.

He also felt a little foolish, a little silly. He felt like a little boy, felt like he could believe in everything again, felt he could believe that dreams and wishes could come true.

He started realizing things he never had before.

_Kaidoh…_

_Do you know how happy I am right now?_

He smiled.

_I enjoy every moment I spend with you. I'm not even sure why. But I wish we could always be together…_

_You're the reason I get up every morning._

_Are you as happy as I am when we spend time together? I wish you would be. I wish I could always make you smile like you were today. I wish I could always be there when you needed someone. Because doesn't everyone need someone? You made me realize that. I always thought I didn't need anyone. But, now…_

_I need you._

_I wish you needed me. I wish I could be your everything. I wish I could make your dreams come true._

Inui leaned over, getting closer and closer to Kaidoh's face, until…

His lips pressed lightly against Kaidoh's forehead.

_I love you._

Inui sat up suddenly.

So that was it.

Everything became clear in an instant. Every feeling that had snuck in on him in the past week, every time he had smiled, that pain he'd felt in his chest, all those urges he'd had to touch Kaidoh, to stroke his hair, to kiss him…

That was it.

He loved him.

Why did that thought scare him so much?

He put a hand over his mouth. What had he just done? He had just _kissed _Kaidoh Kaoru.

How could he have let this happen? How could he have let his feelings go so far? Why hadn't he known it sooner?

A horrible thought occurred to Inui. Surely, surely Kaidoh didn't feel the same way about _him_.

What if Kaidoh were to find out?

Inui noticed the second-year beginning to stir. He was undecided as to what he should do. For some reason, he really wanted to run.

Kaidoh sat up and rubbed his eyes. When he saw the moon, he gasped and turned to Inui. "Senpai, what time is it?"

"Past ten," Inui heard himself say.

Why didn't Kaidoh look like he was listening?

The second-year seemed to be studying Inui's face. Inui swallowed. He knew that his eyes must be filled with passion and emotion. But Kaidoh would never see that, because it would be impossible to see all that through the thick lenses of his glasses…

Inui blinked.

_Oh no_.

His glasses were still on the ground, beside him.

Inui shoved them onto his face and stood up, startled. What had Kaidoh seen in his eyes? Had he seen everything?

"Senpai?" Kaidoh breathed.

"I'm sorry, Kaidoh…" Inui's tone sounded surprisingly even in his ears. "It's late; I have to go."

Without any further explanation, he took off running.

Why was he suddenly so afraid?

When he got home, he apologized quickly to his mother for coming in so late, then locked himself in his room. For a long time, he sat at his desk, with his head in his hands.

He felt like such a fool.

This was bound to happen. All of it made so much _sense_. Ever since he had met Kaidoh, ever since he decided that he wanted to help train him… He'd been setting himself up for this, all along. And if he hadn't been so afraid to admit what was happening, he could have stopped it.

But now there was nothing he could do about it. No matter what he did, he was going to end up getting rejected…

No, he decided. He wasn't going to let that happen. Kaidoh would never have to know. All he had to do was wear his usual, stoic mask…

But what if Kaidoh had already seen through it?

Inui groaned and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't sure if he could ever face Kaidoh again.

_I'm not going to school tomorrow._

Inui leaned back in his chair, his hand still covering his eyes. Why did it have to be like this? Normally, when people realized they were in love, they were happy. They were _hopeful. _But Inui couldn't be. Because he knew everything about Kaidoh, had studied him closely for two years. And he knew Kaidoh didn't love him.

But if he _did_…

_I wish…_

Inui glanced at the papers on the edge of his desk. He picked up his sheet of tally marks.

89.3 percent finished.

He slowly picked up a square from the top of the pile and began folding it into a crane. When he was finished, he made another mark.

89.4 percent finished.

He folded another one.

89.5 percent finished.

Another.

89.6 percent finished.

He folded for another hour.

91.4 percent finished.

Two more hours…

95.9 percent finished.

He was going to finish this tonight if it killed him. He was starting to think that it would. But he kept folding. His hands seemed to be working on their own.

96.2 percent finished. 96.3 percent finished. 96.4 percent finished…

Was was he doing this? It was absurd. He wanted to stop, he wanted to keep going… Deleriously, he continued folding. He wanted his wish…

His wish…

His wish had changed so much since he started folding cranes. Now, it was something entirely different, something that hardly even made sense anymore. Would he still get his wish, even if it was a different wish than it was when he had started?

He wanted to stop. He needed sleep. He wasn't thinking clearly…

He wasn't going to school tomorrow…

He pressed on.

97 percent finished. 97.1 percent finished…

_I wish we could always be together… I wish I made you happy… I wish I could always make you smile… I wish I could always be there when you needed someone… I wish you needed me… I wish I could be your everything... I wish I could make your dreams come true…_

_I wish you loved me…_

_I wish…_

97.9 percent finished. 98 percent finished. 98.1 percent finished…

_But what if the wish is impossible?_

99.3 percent finished. 99.4 percent finished…

He was crying by now. His lenses were fogged and he could hardly see anything in the dark. But his hands still knew what they were doing. He slowed down…

99.8 percent finished…

99.9 percent finished…

The last one took him almost ten minutes to fold.

100 percent finished.

Inui made the last tally and threw the paper bird into the now overflowing box. It was almost a quarter to five in the morning, and sky outside his window was just starting to get lighter. He had been folding for more than six hours.

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Why were they still wet? He was finished. He was going to get his wish…

Wasn't he?

He leaned onto his desk, burying his face in his folded arms.

_Not if my wish is impossible._

…

Inui woke up in his bed sometime past two in the afternoon. He had been dozing all day, but his sleep could hardly be called restful. He had fallen asleep at his desk for a few hours, woken up suddenly with a sore neck, and decided to move to his bed. There he tossed and turned, having all sorts of strange thoughts and nightmares. Sometimes he woke up and paced around the room. Once he had even gotten dressed, having decided that he should go to school. But then he changed his mind and fell back onto his bed, falling asleep fully dressed.

Now, he just didn't know what to do.

He sat up and stared at the box of cranes on his floor.

He was finished.

Today was the day. Today was the day he should get his wish. At least today, he should decide what his wish was going to be. Once and for all, he should decide what he wanted.

Inui looked at the clock, and decided to go to school. By the time he got there, tennis practice should be starting.

Maybe a little bit of hitting would clear his head.

He got all his things together and walked out the door.

As he was nearing the school, Inui noticed two people that walked past him. He had passed a lot of people on the way, but this time he did a double take.

_Wasn't that…?_

He turned and, sure enough, it was Fuji and Kawamura. Where were they going?

Inui rushed to the tennis courts, passing a few more club members on the way. Where was everyone going? He found Tezuka standing in front of the clubhouse watching the scene while Oishi talked to him about something tennis-related.

"What's going on?" Inui asked both of them.

Predictably, Oishi was the one two answer, cheerfully declaring, "Practice was cancelled for today. Go home and get some rest." His smile was replaced with a look of concern. "You look tired, Inui…"

Inui quickly shook off the observation. "Yes, but—Why was practice cancelled?"

The captain finally turned to face him. His tone was short and deliberate. "Practice was cancelled because we had nothing planned."

Inui felt his stomach sink into his shoes. _Shoot… I was supposed to make the schedule for today… _"Tezuka, I'm terribly sorry… I had a rough weekend—"

The captain held up a hand to silence him. "No excuses. You can have clubhouse duty. Oishi, give him your keys."

The vice captain promptly did so, clearly thinking that Tezuka was being too cold, if not too harsh. Inui realized, meanwhile, that he was getting off easy. He had let the entire team down, and because of his mistake, they were losing a whole day of practice. Clubhouse duty was practically nothing in terms of punishment. Even with the lucky break, though, this did not bode well. It just wasn't Inui's day, much less was it a day he should be hoping for something good to happen…

He took the keys, and, bowing slightly to Tezuka, ducked into the locker room, shutting the door behind him. This action was unnecessary, but it was a relief to get away from the two student officers. He could still hear them talking, though.

"I'd better go, Tezuka; Eiji said he'd wait for me at his house. Would you like to walk with me?"

"No, thank you, Oishi. Ryuzaki-sensei has asked to speak with me shortly."

"Alright… rest up."

Once the two of them had disappeared from the window, Inui relaxed even more. Taking his time and walking slowly, he inspected the room for any cleaning that had to be done.

"Senpai?"

"Kaidoh!" Inui nearly fell over backwards as he whirled around to find the second-year standing there, hidden behind the first row of lockers. As startled as he was, it seemed that Kaidoh was just as startled by his senpai's jumpy reaction to his inquiry.

"Kaidoh," Inui began, more calmly this time, though his heart was still pounding. "What are you still doing here? Everyone else left a while ago…"

"What about you, senpai? I heard you were sick today…"

There was a pause, along with a silent, mutual understanding that neither of them had an answer to each other's questions. But Inui wanted as much information as possible.

"Where did you hear that?" he offered, carefully. He was wondering if his kouhai had asked after him. Kaidoh only hissed in reply as he turned back to continue packing his things.

_It was worth a shot, _Inui mused, just watching. He couldn't help noticing the strong muscles on Kaidoh's arms… Inui hadn't realized before how good Kaidoh looked in that tank top…

Why had Kaidoh changed out of his school uniform, anyway?

"Since we're both here, senpai," Kaidoh blurted without turning around. "Would you… _could _you… come running with me?"

Inui wasn't sure he had the energy. In fact, he was sure he _didn't _have the energy. But somehow, the idea appealed to him and he replied, "Yes… I mean, I suppose I could."

Kaidoh shouldered his bag. "Are you ready, then?"

"Oh…" Inui rubbed his neck. "Well, it seems I've been put on clubhouse duty. I'll just be a minute." Inui walked around a bit more, surveying the room. "Then again, it doesn't seem like there's any cleaning to do. Let me just…" Here, he trailed off and sat down, feeling a little dizzy. He still hadn't caught up on sleep… and he just realized he hadn't eaten anything all day…

Kaidoh dropped his bag and was soon kneeling at Inui's side. "Senpai," he started softly. "Are you alright?"

Inui held his head, wondering if his lightheadedness was making him imagine that feathery quality in Kaidoh's voice. With the room still spinning a little, he replied, "Yes, I'm fine. I just haven't had much sleep…"

"What were you _doing _all last night, senpai?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. He immediately regained clarity of his senses.

Kaidoh stood up, reluctantly allowing himself to be satisfied with such a vague answer. "Maybe I should just go on my own then…" He picked up his bag.

"Get some rest, senpai."

"Kaidoh…"

The second-year stopped and turned.

Inui wasn't sure what he wanted to say, but he had to say something.

Today was the day.

At least today, he should decide what his wish was going to be. "Kaidoh," he said again.

"What, senpai?"

He took a deep breath. "If you could have one wish, what would it be?"

Kaidoh thought for a moment, clearly finding this question odd. He turned slowly towards the tiny window, looking out onto the tennis courts, and replied, with certainty, "I would wish to become the best tennis player in the world."

Inui smiled at this, almost laughed aloud. That had been _his_ wish, once, long ago… It had changed so much since then. _He_ had changed so much since then, learned so much since then…

_Oh, Kaidoh…_

_What if the wish is impossible?_

Inui let his smile fade with a sigh. Kaidoh's answer was no help to him in deciding his wish. He'd given up that dream…

"Why? What would yours be, senpai?"

Inui looked up at Kaidoh. It seemed that the second-year sincerely wanted to know.

Today was the day.

Inui couldn't answer honestly. He couldn't tell Kaidoh what he really wanted, and in any case, he wouldn't get it.

He thought of Kaidoh's response again. It couldn't really help him.

Unless…

Suddenly Inui realized what he would ask for. It was something he _could_ ask for, and something he could even say out loud.

"I guess… I suppose my wish would be, for you…" Inui had to take a deep breath. It was hard to look into those eyes for too long. So he looked down again and finished in one breath. "For _you_ to be the best, someday."

Inui could sense Kaidoh's muscles tensing up. "Senpai, you don't wish that for yourself?"

The third-year stood up, feeling a bit stronger and a bit braver. "No, Kaidoh. I gave up on that."

Kaidoh's eyes narrowed, and his voice rose. "What are you talking about, senpai?"

Inui clenched his fists, trying not to get angry. This was hitting him where it still hurt the most. "I gave up, Kaidoh. I'll never be the best."

"Since _when_?"

"A long time ago."

"I don't believe you!" The second-year was getting just as angry. "If you feel that way, senpai, why do you work so hard? Why have you been training so much?"

"I don't _know, _Kaidoh!" Inui felt his entire body tense up. Why were they yelling? He took a breath and tried to calm down. "I don't know. I've given up on myself. The only reason I've been training lately is to help _you_—"

"That's ridiculous, senpai!" Kaidoh was still yelling, and his cheeks were a bright red. "Why, then, do you put so much effort into your own matches? When you won four games off our captain, was that for _me, _senpai?"

At that, Inui was genuinely angry. He pushed Kaidoh rather roughly up against the lockers and held him there, hoping he would listen. "That's just it, Kaidoh! I can't do any better than that. That's my limit…" His voice quieted a little. "That's the best I'll ever do. I don't have the talent, Kaidoh; I just work hard. I train and study every hour of every day… and for what? Four lousy games off the team captain."

There was a tense silence. Neither of them moved.

Kaidoh spoke, slowly and quietly, through clenched teeth. "Senpai, if you're giving up that easily, I have no reason to admire you anymore."

Inui painfully cracked a smile. Almost in a whisper, he asked, "You admire me, Kaidoh?"

"I thought you knew that, senpai," the second-year replied, just as quietly. Then his voice changed, sounding closer to normal. "But I have no reason to if you can't follow your _own _dreams." He seemed frustrated at his own cliché.

Still holding Kaidoh's shoulders, Inui looked his kouhai straight in the eye, leaning in until his face was little more than an inch away from Kaidoh's.

_My own dreams, huh?_

"If I followed my own dreams, Kaidoh…" He paused, squeezing his teammate's shoulders a little tighter. "_Then, _I'm afraid, you wouldn't admire me anymore."

Kaidoh met his gaze. "Try me, senpai."

_Try you?_

Inui's heart started beating a little faster. He noticed, again, that deep turquoise color in Kaidoh's eyes… His gaze fell slowly onto Kaidoh's lips.

_I wish…_

Oishi's voice popped into his head.

"_One of you, or both of you, is holding something back."_

Inui thought about it.

_Holding back…_

He could feel Kaidoh's warm breath against his face. The second-year's expression had softened a little, and he seemed like he was waiting for something…

Inui leaned in and kissed him.

…And kissed him…

…And kissed him more.

It felt so good that, when he was done, he did it again.

But the thing that was the strangest, the thing that overthrew all hypotheses Inui had ever made about Kaidoh, was the fact that the second-year didn't protest. When Inui slid his hands up to Kaidoh's cheeks, Kaidoh reached up and held them there. And although Inui didn't know much about kissing, it really felt like Kaidoh was kissing him back.

Inui couldn't stop himself. He'd never felt this way before…

"Inui!"

Instantly, the two of them shot apart. Inui spun around to see Tezuka standing there with a strange expression he'd never seen on the captain's face before.

"What are you _doing_?" Tezuka managed, after a deep breath.

Inui pushed up his glasses, trying to use his hand to cover his flushed cheeks. Instead of answering the question, he stuttered, "I-I thought you were leaving… How come…?"

The captain's expression settled into something closer to his normal stoicism. "I noticed that the clubhouse was still open, and I wanted to see why you hadn't locked up yet." He pushed up his own glasses. "Now I know."

There was an awkward pause. Tezuka turned to leave.

"You won't tell anyone?" Inui put in quickly.

"No. That would be… careless." Tezuka paused when he got to the door. "Please lock up, Inui." Then he was gone.

Once he was gone, Kaidoh, who was leaning against the lockers with his hand over his mouth, let out a long hiss.

Inui shuddered. "Stop that."

He shook his head. What had he been thinking? He was crazy if he thought…

He started towards the door, on the assumption that Kaidoh wanted him to go. He stopped when his hand reached the doorknob.

"You're leaving, senpai?"

Inui turned. Kaidoh looked as if he would run after him if the answer was yes.

A smile crept over the third-year's face when he realized. There was no mistaking that look in Kaidoh's eyes…

_This is completely illogical._

"I think we could use some time away from each other," Inui began. "We can always go running tomorrow."

Kaidoh relaxed. Then he held out his hand. "I can lock up, senpai."

"Alright, I'll get out of your way, then." Inui threw the keys to him and left the locker room.

He closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment, smiling at the sky.

Wishes did come true.

* * *

-end of chapter 11-

Hope you liked it! If you're sad it's over, don't worry! There's an epilogue! XD


	12. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of it's characters, and I don't pretend to.

**Warning: **This fic contains mild shounen-ai.

**Author's Notes: **And now for the anti-climactic epilogue! Hope you guys all liked it! It's been fun!

* * *

Inui showed up at Kaidoh's house early the next morning. He was surprised to discover that the second-year was not dressed in his usual tank top and shorts, but his school uniform.

"You don't seem ready for training," Inui had to remark, with a smile.

"Neither do you, senpai," Kaidoh retorted, pointing out Inui's own black uniform. "I figured I could change. What's your excuse?"

The third-year dismissed the question simply. "I don't have one." Then he asked, "Do you want to get breakfast?"

"As long as you pay, senpai."

"Fair enough."

While they were walking, Kaidoh asked, "So… _why _aren't we running today, senpai?"

Inui shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't really feel like it."

Kaidoh winced. "That never stopped you before…"

"I guess that's true… One hardly ever _feels_ like running. I suppose you could say, instead, that I just didn't have the motivation today."

The second-year looked down at the sidewalk. "Are you quitting, senpai?"

Inui actually laughed at that. "No, I didn't mean that… I just meant I didn't have any goals set for today." He turned his eyes upward. "I couldn't think of anything I wanted to work on. I'm sure there will be something I'll think of tomorrow, but today… I don't know…"

"Today, it feels like nothing could be wrong?" Kaidoh interjected softly.

Inui looked down at him, a little shocked that the second-year had read his mind so easily. Kaidoh was giving him his usual little half-smile. Inui smiled back. "Yes. Something like that."

They found a quiet restaurant on the way to school. It was basically empty, since it was so early. They sat at a small table in the back.

While they were eating, it was silent for a while. Inui finally leaned closer and asked, quietly, "Do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?"

Kaidoh lowered his chopsticks. "What about it, senpai?"

"You don't, then."

"I didn't say that."

Inui adjusted his glasses. He still felt a little nervous.

He cleared his throat. "Maybe I shouldn't have… done what I did…"

Kaidoh sighed. "Don't apologize, senpai."

Inui looked into his teammate's eyes. They were honest and unafraid. He relaxed a little. "So… you didn't mind?"

Kaidoh blushed a little. "No, senpai… I didn't mind."

Inui started shuffling things around in his bag. Kaidoh leaned over to watch. "Senpai… what are you doing?"

Inui sat up again, notebook and pen in hand. "So, Kaidoh, I was curious… Did you enjoy it as much as I did?"

"Senpai!" Kaidoh's face turned bright red. "Why would you _write _that down?" He practically crawled over the table trying to get the notebook away from Inui.

Inui just laughed. "Alright, alright. I won't." He put his notebook away. Kaidoh sat back down, crossing his arms and hissing.

"You know, Kaidoh, I've been thinking…" Inui rested his chin in one hand.

"What's that, senpai?"

"I don't think we should play doubles again."

Kaidoh looked up. Inui gave him a smile.

"Why not, senpai?"

He pushed up his glasses. "Well… As much as I want to, I don't think we'd play very well. It would be a little awkward, after what happened… And it might be obvious…" He trailed off.

Kaidoh leaned forward. "_What _might be obvious, senpai?"

Inui looked up, eyeing some customers that had just come through the door. "Let's get out of here," he suggested, almost in a whisper. After leaving the money on the table, he took Kaidoh by the hand and led him out of the restaurant.

They didn't find privacy until they got to the school, where they snuck behind the tennis clubhouse. Inui put his hands on Kaidoh's shoulders.

"I love you, Kaidoh."

Kaidoh blinked.

"You do, senpai?"

"I do."

The second-year swallowed, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked very seriously up at Inui.

"I love you too, senpai."

A smile worked its way onto Inui's face at the sound of those words. Still, he couldn't believe them. "Really, Kaidoh?"

"Yes."

After a strange, happy pause, Kaidoh reached up and wrapped his arms around Inui's neck, and kissed him. When the second-year pulled back, Inui took him again into his arms and held him.

He wasn't going to let go.

Ever.

* * *

-the end-

_Big thanks to..._

1. My readers... Hope you enjoyed it!

2. My reviewers... I appreciate allmy reviews. Thanks so much!

3. My _wonderful _sister/editor. Love you! Thanks for all the help!


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